Israel asks global hunger monitor to retract report of famine in Gaza
Israel threatens to urge IPC donors to halt funding if no new report
Gaza health ministry reports 313 malnutrition deaths, including 119 children
JERUSALEM, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Israel asked a global hunger monitor on Wednesday to retract an assessment that found that Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from famine and that it will likely spread, dismissing the report as "deeply flawed".
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said on Friday that 514,000 people - close to a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza - are experiencing famine, with the number due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
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Nearly two years into its war in Gaza, Israel has repeatedly dismissed such findings as false and biased in favour of Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Foreign Ministry's director general, Eden Bar Tal, wrote to the IPC on Wednesday asking for a retraction of the report until the body completes a review.
“The report is deeply flawed, unprofessional, and gravely missing the standards expected from an international body entrusted with such a serious responsibility,” he wrote.