Fri Aug 29 16:35:08 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the provided text, followed by a rewritten news article based on it:

**Summary:**

A UN food agency official has declared famine in Gaza City, with the likelihood of it spreading across the territory due to ongoing conflict and restrictions on aid. The declaration has increased international pressure on Israel, who disputes the findings. Aid groups insist that current aid levels are insufficient. The UN Secretary-General condemns the famine as a “present-day catastrophe” and blames “deliberate decisions” by Israel. Ceasefire negotiations are ongoing, but Israeli airstrikes have also targeted Yemen in response to Houthi attacks. The war has resulted in a high death toll in Gaza, with the majority of fatalities being women and children.

**News Article:**

**Famine Grips Gaza City as International Pressure Mounts on Israel**

**TEL AVIV – August 29, 2025, 10:05 pm IST** – Gaza City is officially experiencing famine, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading authority on food crises. The head of the UN World Food Program (WFP), Cindy McCain, declared it “very evident” that insufficient food is reaching the Palestinian territory, adding that starvation is underway.

McCain met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the urgent need for increased aid access. While Netanyahu expressed concern, he has previously denied famine conditions, claiming they are Hamas propaganda. The WFP head stressed the necessity of “redoubling efforts” and ensuring secure access for aid convoys.

The famine declaration intensifies international pressure on Israel, which has been engaged in conflict with Hamas since October 7, 2023. Israel rejects the IPC’s findings and has requested a formal retraction. COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for aid transfer, states that over 300 aid trucks enter Gaza daily. However, aid organizations argue that this is far from adequate after nearly two years of fighting, a blockade earlier in the year, and the destruction of local food production.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the situation as a “present-day catastrophe,” accusing Israel of making “deliberate decisions that defy basic humanity” and dismantling systems providing essential resources.

Meanwhile, Egyptian and Qatari mediators are awaiting Israel’s response to a Hamas-accepted 60-day ceasefire proposal, which includes hostage release and Israeli troop withdrawal. Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes targeted Sanaa, Yemen, in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping, actions the Houthis claim are in support of Palestinians.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reports that nearly 63,000 people have been killed in the conflict, with over half being women and children. The UN considers this ministry a reliable source of casualty figures.

Guterres reiterated Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access.

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