The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza on Saturday said it appreciated the declaration of famine in the enclave but believes the announcement came too late, Al Jazeera reports.
"We emphasise that the engineering of starvation is one aspect of the chapters of genocide, which also include the systematic destruction of the health sector and other sectors, mass killing, and the policy of exterminating generations," the ministry wrote in a statement on Telegram.
It is the first time that a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East.
Since May 27, Israel has enforced a unilateral aid delivery mechanism through the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by Israel and the US.
The setup has been rejected by the UN and major relief groups as illegitimate and failing to adhere to humanitarian principles such as independence and neutrality.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 2,076 Palestinians have been killed and more than 15,300 people wounded while seeking aid since the GHF scheme was launched.
Israel has killed more than 62,600 Palestinians in Gaza since the Hamas-led October 2023 attack on southern Israel.
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