JERUSALEM, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Prime Minister's Office on Friday rejected a UN-backed report confirming famine in Gaza, saying it was "an outright lie."

"Israel does not have a policy of starvation. Israel has a policy of preventing starvation," Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

It said that since the war began in October 2023, Israel has allowed approximately two million tonnes of aid into Gaza, about one tonne per person.

The statement added that many aid trucks were looted before reaching distribution points. It also accused Hamas of stealing humanitarian aid to finance its military activity.

The statement said the temporary shortages were resolved with airdrops, maritime deliveries, secured transport routes, and distribution points operated by U.S. companies.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a multipartner initiative made up of UN agencies and international NGOs, reported on Friday that famine has been confirmed in the Gaza Governorate, which includes Gaza City, and more than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine conditions marked by starvation, destitution and death. It added that the famine first identified in Gaza City is now spreading south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.

The IPC assessment projected that by the end of September, more than 640,000 people, or nearly a third of the population in Gaza, are projected to face catastrophic conditions, with another 1.14 million people facing emergency levels of food insecurity.

According to Gaza's health authorities on Friday, 273 people have died from starvation and malnutrition in the enclave since the beginning of the war, including 112 children. ■