The Israeli ambassador to Denmark denies famine in Gaza: There is manipulation of famine standards to serve Hamas propaganda.
Israel denies famine in Gaza despite UN reports and international warnings
According to TV2, the UN-backed monitoring unit, the International Committee Against Food Insecurity (IPC), officially declared on Friday that there is famine in parts of Gaza City, amid confirmations that the humanitarian situation is getting worse day by day in the besieged territory.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 514,000 people are currently living in a state of actual famine, with the number expected to rise to 641,000 by next September. The declaration of famine is based on three indicators: 201,000 families are without food, one-third of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, and mortality rates are high. In Gaza, the first two conditions were met, while accurate measurement of mortality rates was not possible due to a lack of field data, according to TV2.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on the X platform that “what is happening is a man-made catastrophe, a moral indictment, and a failure of the very essence of humanity.”.
The Israeli ambassador in Copenhagen responded
In an email to TV2, the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen wrote that the International Committee on Food Insecurity (ICF) had, according to Israel, lowered the threshold for declaring famine from 301 TP3T to 151 TP3T, disregarded the mortality criterion, and relied on “problematic sources linked to Hamas.” The embassy considered these actions to be “manipulation of the organization’s standards to serve a Hamas-led propaganda campaign.”.
Experts and evidence contradicting the Israeli narrative
Expert Alex de Waal, director of the World Peace Foundation and a specialist in famine issues, rejected this claim, asserting in a statement to the BBC that "the standards have not changed at all." He explained that "using measurements of children's arm circumference is standard practice when other data is unavailable, and does not represent any lowering of standards," according to TV2.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also stressed that it had been requesting improved access to data from Israel since December 2023, but had received no cooperation. The New York Times revealed that the volume of humanitarian aid to Gaza decreased significantly after Israel took control of the crossings in May 2024.
The official Danish position and the reactions of local organizations
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote via the X platform: “We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza where the IPC has officially declared famine. It is clear that the Israeli government has crossed a line, and what is needed now is the entry of additional aid, especially for children.”.
She added that Denmark would work through the European Union to put pressure on Israel, stressing the need to release the Israeli hostages, stop illegal settlement activity and reach an immediate ceasefire.
Save the Children Secretary General Johan Schmidt-Nielsen said in a written statement: “Children are dying of hunger while aid trucks remain kilometers away, prevented from entering by the Israeli army. Using hunger as a weapon is a war crime.”.
Julia Ravad, head of analysis at Doctors Without Borders (MSF), described the situation as a “grotesque famine,” adding that “warnings have been issued for months, but no one has listened.”.
Statements by Netanyahu and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, according to TV2.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the IPC announcement as a “outright lie,” asserting, according to Reuters, that “Israel does not have a policy of starvation, but rather a policy of preventing starvation.”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, for its part, categorically denied the existence of a famine, and reiterated its accusations that the IPC had “deviated from its own rules” by lowering the threshold for declaring a famine, neglecting the mortality criterion, and relying on sources linked to Hamas.
A huge aid gap
Aid organizations estimate that Gaza's population needs 62,000 tons of food per month to meet their basic needs. However, The Guardian, citing official Israeli and UN data, reported that Gaza received only 321,000 TP3 tons of the required amount in May, while the figure rose to only about 601,000 TP3 tons in June and July—far below the required level.
In March and April, no aid arrived due to a complete Israeli closure of the crossings.
The airdrops were also unsuccessful, as the Guardian, according to TV2, reported that 104 days of these operations provided only four days' worth of food.
Mutual accusations regarding aid theft
Israel asserts that Hamas systematically steals humanitarian aid, but The New York Times and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have stated that there is no evidence to support these claims.
The Israeli war on Gaza continues and the losses are mounting.
The famine declaration comes two days after Israel began its invasion of Gaza City, the last densely populated area not yet occupied by Israel by land. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in October 2023, amid unprecedented humanitarian conditions.
