Cindy McCain, the director of the World Food Program said that parts of the Gaza Strip are experiencing a “full-blown famine” that is spreading across the territory. Ms. McCain is the second high-profile American leading a U.S. government or U.N. aid effort who has said that there is famine in northern Gaza, although her remarks do not constitute an official declaration. She did not explain why an official famine declaration had not been made. COGAT, the Israeli defense agency that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, strongly rejected Ms. McCain’s assertion, saying that Israel had recently stepped up its efforts to “flood the Gaza Strip with food, medical equipment and equipment for tents.”

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