United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation in the Gaza Strip as a "completely man-made disaster."

In statements to reporters in New York on Monday, Guterres said that the “Integrated Interim Classification of Food Security” (IPC) report, prepared by institutions affiliated with the United Nations, shows that famine is now imminent in northern Gaza.

Guterres considered the report's conclusions a "horrific indicator" of the situation on the ground.

Guterres pointed out that the report contains horrific information about the conditions on the ground for civilians, and stressed that more than half of the Palestinians in Gaza have completely exhausted their food resources and are facing catastrophic hunger.

“Palestinians in Gaza are suffering horrific hunger and pain,” Guterres said. “According to the IPC report, this is the largest number of people ever facing catastrophic hunger anywhere, at any time.”

He added: "This is a completely man-made disaster, and the report shows that it can be stopped."

Regarding the findings of the relevant report, Guterres stressed the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, calling on the Israeli authorities to fully allow humanitarian aid to reach all parts of Gaza. He also called on the international community to provide support for the humanitarian efforts made by the United Nations.

Earlier Monday, the press release for the report in question showed that 70 percent of the population of the northern Gaza Strip, or about 210,000 people, are facing catastrophic hunger.

Israel restricts humanitarian access to Gaza, where approximately 2.3 million Palestinians live; this caused a scarcity of food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies and created a famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly, in light of the presence of about two million displaced people in the besieged sector for 17 years.