ISTANBUL 

Canada on Saturday expressed alarm over "horrific deteriorating conditions" in Gaza, the country's secretary of state for international development said.

“Canada is deeply alarmed by the horrific deteriorating conditions in Gaza and by the increase in civilian deaths, among them children, from starvation.

"The independent Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification issued a report confirming that a famine is occurring in Gaza Governorate and likely to occur in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates in the coming weeks," Randeep Sarai said in a statement.

Civilians —including men, women, and children—are dying because adequate humanitarian aid is being blocked from reaching Gaza, Sarai added.

“The ongoing conflict and the Israeli government’s military actions have made famine a devastating reality for Palestinians in Gaza, and the crisis continues to grow," he said, stressing that an intensified offensive in Gaza City would further harm civilians already facing severe food shortages.

For many people, notably for the most vulnerable, access to essential life-saving aid would become impossible with such move, Sarai stressed.

"Israel, as the occupying power, is failing" to meet its obligations under international humanitarian law, by blocking humanitarian aid and failing to provide sufficient food and medical supplies to Gaza’s civilian population, the official said.

This famine can be halted and even reversed if adequate aid is allowed to reach those in need safely and swiftly, he said, emphasizing that the UN-led humanitarian system has the expertise, resources, and networks to deliver assistance on a large scale.

"The UN and NGO humanitarian organizations have undertaken enormous efforts, and humanitarian workers are putting their lives on the line, but they continue to face preventable impediments. There is an absolute imperative to act now," Sarai highlighted.

Canada continues to explore all channels with its partners on the ground to ease the suffering, he said, adding that this involves airdrops, support for logistics to move supplies into Gaza, and enhanced backing for experienced UN, NGO, and Red Cross partners capable of scaling up aid delivery to those most in need.

Sarai said Canada continues to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and also urged Hamas to release all hostages without delay.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since the October 2023 Hamas attacks, which claimed around 1,200 lives and more than 200 were taken captive. About 50 are still believed to be in the enclave, with 20 of them alive.