Humanitarian workers and food security experts told ABC News that an official declaration may not matter. There are no legal obligations from countries or international organizations when a famine is determined, and it is merely a sign that the food insecurity in an area is the worst it can be.

T he announcement was an admission of failure. On July 26th the Israel Defence Forces ( IDF) said that it would parachute food into Gaza and implement daily “humanitarian pauses” in parts of the still depopulated areas of the devastated strip, allowing international aid organisations to bring in convoys.

The leading international authority on food crises says the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza" and it predicts “widespread death” without immediate action.