Hamas has confirmed that the Gaza Strip has entered a famine phase, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his "criminal" government of using starvation as a weapon of genocide against the Strip's population.

In a statement, Hamas warned of the disastrous consequences of the comprehensive closure imposed by the occupation government on Gaza, calling for immediate action to end the blockade.

The movement noted that the World Food Programme's announcement that its stocks had run out confirms beyond doubt that the people of Gaza have entered a phase of actual famine.

Hamas called on the international community to take urgent action to stop the mass starvation and end the complete blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Resistance operations

The Al-Qassam Brigades announced that it had killed and wounded members of a special Israeli force after targeting them with shells and machine guns during clashes in the Shujaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza.