Allegations that famine gripped Gaza this summer are facing increasing scrutiny as food prices fall, mortality figures remain low, and United Nations agencies face accusations of mismanagement and bias.

According to a Fox News Digital investigation, experts say the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) — the UN-backed body that declared famine conditions in parts of Gaza — may have overstated the crisis without sufficient data to support its claims.

“What makes famine different from hunger is that it’s lethal,” said David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “By the IPC’s definition, famine means two deaths per day per 10,000 people. That would mean about 9,000 hunger-related deaths in Gaza — data that simply doesn’t exist.”

The Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health reported 273 deaths from famine or malnutrition by August 22, and 460 by October 7 — far short of the thousands required to meet the IPC’s threshold.

Falling food prices contradict famine claims

Contrary to expectations during a food crisis, Gaza’s food prices have dropped in recent months.

The World Food Programme’s Palestine Market Monitor shows prices for 60 of 89 key goods either remained stable or declined from late August to late September.

“If famine conditions were spreading, we’d see prices skyrocketing,” Adesnik said. “Instead, they’ve fallen — suggesting food supplies are reaching markets.”

Aid delivery plagued by looting and Hamas interference

New UN data reveals that 80.5% of aid trucks sent to Gaza since May have been intercepted or looted, often by Hamas militants or other armed groups.

Photographs show armed Hamas members diverting convoys in northern Gaza, raising concerns about corruption and unequal access to food.

“That’s the opposite of how aid should work,” Adesnik said. “The strongest are taking the most, while the weakest go without.”

Despite these challenges, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the rate of interception has dropped since President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal took effect earlier this month.

As of October 17, 75% of supplies reportedly reached their intended destinations — a significant improvement over the summer.

Questions about UN data transparency

Analysts also noted that OCHA stopped reporting the number of civilians killed while waiting for food at U.N. convoy sites after mid-August, when those figures began to outpace deaths near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites — a U.S.- and Israel-backed aid operation.

“It looks like when the numbers turned against them, they stopped reporting,” Adesnik alleged.

OCHA said the omission was temporary and due to delays in receiving updated data from local sources.

U.S.-backed aid operations filling the gap

Since May, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has delivered 185 million free meals and offered to assist the UN in secure distribution.

A GHF spokesperson said the group “remains open and flexible to coordinate with the UN system to ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable safely.”

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini added another twist, announcing recently that his agency now has “enough food to feed the entire population for the next three months,” further calling famine claims into question.

Key Context

• IPC famine definition: 2 deaths per 10,000 people per day from hunger or related illness.
• Reported Gaza deaths: 460 as of October 7 — far below famine threshold.
• Aid interception: 80.5% of trucks looted or redirected before the ceasefire.
• Food prices: Declined in most categories between August and September.