The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has declared famine is occurring in Gaza City. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports as Israel denies the claims.

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Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

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A UN-backed group, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), has declared famine in Gaza City for the first time, reporting that over half a million people are facing starvation, destitution, and death. The IPC warns that these catastrophic conditions are expected to spread to other parts of the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks, potentially affecting more than 640,000 people.

Israel has rejected the IPC's findings, calling the report false and biased, and citing the entry of 100,000 aid trucks into Gaza over nearly two years. The Israeli foreign ministry also challenged the IPC's methodology, claiming the threshold for declaring famine was lowered, an accusation the IPC denies. The UN's aid chief described the famine as preventable and criticized restrictions on aid and media access to Gaza.

U.N.-backed group declares famine in Gaza City

We are following breaking news out of Gaza this morning, where famine has now been declared in Gaza City for the first time, according to a UN-backed Global Hunger Monitor. In its latest assessment, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, warned that the, quote, catastrophic conditions are expected to spread into other parts of the territory by the end of September. Now, Israel has rejected the report, calling it false and biased. For more on this, I want to bring in CBS News foreign correspondent, Rami Innocencio. Rami, good morning. So, what more can you tell us about this report? Yeah, Michael, good to see you. First off, this is coming from a hugely respected UN Food Security Monitor, the IPC, as you said. And this monitor put a number, too, to how many people in Gaza are now impacted by famine. That is more than half a million people who are facing, quote, starvation, destitution, and death. And for context, that is about a quarter of the Strip's estimated population of about two million people. The IPC also says that it's going to get worse, not just in size and the number, but also in scope. It says famine right now is in the Gaza governorate. Now, this is in the north and where Gaza City is. But famine conditions are also projected to spread south in the coming weeks. That's a quote, in the coming weeks, to Deir al-Bala, just south, and then further south to Khan Yunus. And by the end of next month, the IPC says it's estimated that more than 640,000 people will face famine. The UN's aid chief, Tom Fletcher, just gave a statement from Geneva. It was impassioned, he was frustrated. Take a listen. It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. It is a famine within a few hundred meters of food. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war. Yeah, and he also pointed to the world, Michael. He said this is a famine on all of our watch. The Gaza famine is the world's famine. That is also a quote. And it's not just Gaza's famine, Michael. This is also, according to the IPC, the first famine anywhere in the Middle East in modern times. And this is a pretty stark report. How is Israel responding to this? Sure, Israel has come out quickly and with a total rejection. It says it is false and biased, this report. And it says, a quote here also, there is no famine in Gaza. This is coming from the foreign ministry, which cited 100,000 aid trucks that have entered Gaza. This is over the past nearly two years of its campaign in Gaza. The foreign ministry also said that the IPC's report was a tailor-made, fabricated report to fit Hamas's fake campaign. And then it goes on to say that the IPC twisted its own rules on what the actual definition of famine is. It claimed that the IPC lowered the threshold. There's a threshold of a population that faces famine. They claimed that that was 30% and that the IPC has lowered that to 15%. The IPC, though, does deny this accusation. And I just want to remind everyone that Israel does not allow any international media right now into Gaza and for the past many months for any kind of independent verification. Some important context there. Remy Nissencia, thanks for joining us. Of course.

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U.N.-backed group declares famine in Gaza City

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