Corbyn’s new party in chaos as co-leaders squabble over antisemitism remark

Jeremy Corbyn has hit back at Zarah Sultana after she accused him of “capitulating” over antisemitism when he was Labour leader as tensions at the top of their new left-wing party grow.

The Islington MP said it was “not really necessary” for Ms Sultana, with whom he is currently co-leading the as-yet-unnamed party, to “bring all that up”.

It came after Ms Sultana used an interview with the New Left Review to say Mr Corbyn as Labour leader “capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism”.

The Coventry MP also said Mr Corbyn alienated voters by “triangulating” on Brexit and that Labour under his leadership was “frightened and far too conciliatory”.

Asked about her comments by the Middle East Eye, Mr Corbyn said: “I think it was not really necessary for her to bring all that up in the interview, but that is what she decided to do.”

Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana confirmed the launch of the left-wing challenger party last month, with a conference scheduled for the autumn to decide on a formal name and its leadership structure.

When news of the party first emerged, Ms Sultana said the pair will co-lead the party together, something Mr Corbyn did not appear to have agreed to.

In her interview, Ms Sultana praised the “energy, mass appeal and bold policy platform” of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn.

But she hit out at its “limitations”, adding: “It capitulated to the IHRA definition of antisemitism… It triangulated on Brexit, which alienated huge numbers of voters. It abandoned mandatory reselection of MPs for the trigger ballot compromise, keeping many of the party’s undemocratic structures in place.

“It didn’t make a real effort to channel its mass membership into the labour movement or tenants unions, which would have enriched the party’s social base.

“When it came under attack from the state and the media, it should have fought back, recognising that these are our class enemies. But instead it was frightened and far too conciliatory.”

In a bid to end the antisemitism crisis that gripped the party under his leadership, Mr Corbyn announced it would adopt the IHRA definition in 2018.

He had initially sought to resist calls to fully adopt the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism, including by adopting just seven of its 11 examples of antisemitic behaviour.

Mr Corbyn said on Thursday that he preferred an alternative antisemitism definition but that the IHRA’s definition had a huge majority of support within the Labour Party when he was leader.

But he said “even the authors of the IHRA definition now disown it” and that his new party will adopt “a general anti-racist position”.

Mr Corbyn also hit out at Wes Streeting, touted as a potential future Labour leader, warning that he has “a great deal to be worried about” in his Ilford North constituency.

Mr Streeting was just 528 votes from losing his seat in the last general election, with independent pro-Gaza candidate Leanne Mohamad expected to run against him again for Mr Corbyn’s party.

The former Labour leader said: “I would think Streeting has a great deal to be worried about there, but maybe he’ll be looking for another constituency.

“The Labour Party is quite prepared to suspend all local democracy when it suits them, despite the leader being elected with a pledge that he would return democracy to the constituencies.” Mr Streeting has previously said he will not seek another constituency to run in at the next general election.

Noel Clarke loses libel claim against Guardian publisher

Actor Noel Clarke has lost his libel claim against The Guardian’s publisher over its reporting of misconduct allegations.

Clarke, 49, sued Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct.

Clarke denied the allegations, while GNM defended its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. Mrs Justice Steyn agreed, dismissing Clarke’s claim in a High Court judgment on Friday saying that the newspaper “succeeded in establishing both truth and public interest defences to the libel claim”.

She added: “I have accepted some of Mr Clarke’s evidence… but overall I find that he was not a credible or reliable witness.”

A trial earlier this year heard from multiple witnesses who made accusations against Clarke, including that he had allegedly shared nude photographs of them without their consent, groped them, and asked them to look at him when he was exposed.

Barristers for Clarke told the court that there is a conspiracy of people with financial and personal grudges against him who engineered his downfall because they could not bear to see him receive a Bafta award.

In her ruling dismissing the claim, Mrs Justice Steyn said there was “no conspiracy to lie” by witnesses who gave evidence against him at trial.

She added: “In the absence of a conspiracy, Mr Clarke’s case that more than 20 witnesses, none of whom are parties or have a stake in this case, as he does, have come to court to lie is inherently implausible.”

She continued that it was “clear that women have been speaking about their experiences of working with Mr Clarke for many years”.

She said that Bafta’s announcement in March 2021 that Clarke would receive an award for outstanding contribution to cinema “triggered those who were concerned about his behaviour to act, out of concern that it would enhance his power within the industry and so enable him to continue misbehaving”.

She continued: “There has been much reference to an ‘anonymous email campaign’ making false allegations against Mr Clarke.

“If there was such a ‘campaign’, and it seems Bafta may have received some vitriolic anonymous emails, it was not something to which any of the witnesses were party.

“One or two of them wrote anonymously to Bafta, but the matters they raised were true.”

The judge said in her ruling that one witness in the trial, known only as “Maya”, was “sexually harassed, pressured and touched” by Clarke without her consent.

“Maya” told the trial in March that she was subject to comments and looks from Clarke, and felt pressured to be naked during a scene for a programme on which they worked together.

The judge also found that Clarke “singled out” one of the witnesses, Hollie Ibson, who worked as a scheduler for the BBC, for “belittling and bullying treatment”.

She continued that it was “probable that he acted in this way for no other reasons than that he had the power to do so, and he found it amusing”.

She further found that GNM had established that Clarke “revealed naked photographs” of a woman known as “Ivy” without her consent and shared them with others.

The judge also said that Clarke “felt entitled to proposition young women for sex”.

Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner said its libel victory was a landmark for investigative journalism in the UK.

In a statement, she said: “We welcome the decision of the High Court today, in a judgment handed down by Mrs Justice Steyn in the case of Noel Clarke vs Guardian News and Media. The judge ruled, in extremely clear language, that the Guardian’s reporting was substantially true, and our belief that the reporting was in the public interest was undoubtedly reasonable.

“This judgment is a deserved victory for those women who suffered because of the behaviour of Noel Clarke. Going to court is difficult and stressful, yet more than 20 women agreed to testify in the High Court, refusing to be bullied or intimidated.

“This is also a landmark judgment for Guardian journalism, and for investigative journalism in Britain. It was important to fight this case. This was a deeply-researched investigation by some of the Guardian’s best reporters, who worked diligently and responsibly. The judgment is clear that our investigation was thorough and fair, a template for public interest journalism.

“I hope today will give encouragement to other women in similar situations who have been too fearful to raise their voices for fear of the consequences.”

The trial of the libel claim was held from early March to early April at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Clarke, who has previously appeared in TV shows including Doctor Who, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Bulletproof, gave evidence over several days.

At one stage, he appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had “smashed my life”.

He said: “They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.”

He continued: “I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.”

Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said there is “not a shred of evidence” to support Clarke’s claim of a conspiracy, describing it as “nonsensical and rather desperate speculation”.

He said Clarke has a “very clear motive to lie” because he “stands to lose a great deal”.

In written submissions, Mr Millar said Clarke “used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues” over a period of 15 years.

Why Prince Andrew might not be the problem some people think he is

What’s to be done about Prince Andrew, and why should we care? In the past, there would have been tried and tested solutions for the black sheep in any aristocratic family. They could, for instance, be packed off to a firm of foreign exile: cities such as Florence, Paris or Brussels teemed with disgraced Britons.

They could – again, on past form – be awarded military commissions in the colonies. They could even be given small outposts to run: think of Andrew’s great uncle Edward being quietly bundled off to govern the Bahamas until the European fascism he dabbled in was defeated. Black sheep could be financially cut off, or cajoled into strategic marriages. A tiny minority turned to “good works” in a bid to purge their shame.

None of these avenues seems especially plausible in the case of the man we are still obliged to call the Duke of York. He has been stripped of many of the baubles, honorifics and pretend roles that he once had, but still the bad smell lingers on.

Attempts have been made to evict him from his grace and favour house and cut off the funds that once gushed through his many bank accounts. But still he squats in a £30m mansion, for which he reportedly pays the, um, princely sum of £250 a week.

Mocked, sued, disgraced, exposed, pilloried and vilified, he has no conceivable future public role in the constitutional monarchy. And that was before the latest devastating biography by Andrew Lownie, which – in any rational scheme of things – should surely drive the final nail into the woodwormed remnants of his reputation.

Lownie describes the Duke today as “a prisoner in his own house, a scorned figure relieved of royal duties who spends his days playing golf and watching television”. He has moved from disgrace to re-disgrace. The book, published this month, looks at how the prince exploited his public position as a taxpayer-funded special representative for trade and investment to develop his own business activities and those of his ex-wife and two daughters.

It claims to reveal fresh information about his connections with the convicted paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein, which began earlier, lasted longer and were more extensive than has hitherto been realised.

Just over three years ago, Andrew managed to scrape together around £12m to settle the claims of sexual abuse by the late Virginia Giuffre, which he has always denied. As to his current circumstances, Lownie admits he has failed to uncover how the King’s younger brother continues to live the life of Riley.

“It remains a mystery how Andrew has been able to enjoy such an extravagant lifestyle without any obvious sources of income beyond his naval pension, family money he may have inherited and handouts first from Queen Elizabeth and now King Charles,” writes Lownie.

“He travels by private jet, has a collection of watches and expensive cars – including a £150,000 Patek Philippe watch, a £220,000 Bentley and a brand-new £80,000 Range Rover – and lives in Royal Lodge, which he spent £7.5m refurbishing and which has annual running costs of £250,000.”

Andrew appears to have been granted the use of a home in Abu Dhabi by the UAE royal family, and there has been speculation that he might move there permanently. But could he end his days like washed-up double agents Donald Maclean or Guy Burgess, drinking themselves to death in exile in Moscow as they struggled with loneliness and irrelevance?

Scoff at Harry and Megan all you like, but it’s hard to see Andrew similarly monetising his diminished royal status. Not for Andrew the reality show redemption arc. No Duke of York official Instagram account flogging royal-themed pitching wedges.

The least undignified path would be to settle down as a permanent recluse. No public appearances, no interviews, no balcony spots or Christmas appearances at Sandringham church. He could become a semi-retired ghost, never quite invisible but never fully present. The Duke of York would become a kind of civic haunting – glimpsed at the occasional funeral, his medals jangling distantly as he shuffles behind the dwindling band of still-functioning royals.

In such a role, Andrew could even perform the monarchy some sort of service. Every institution requires a scapegoat, someone who absorbs the public’s moral disgust, so the others may appear relatively spotless. By being so relentlessly embarrassing, Andrew almost redeems the rest of the Windsors. Compared with him, Camilla looks like a model of restraint, and Harry’s Californian exile resembles noble self-sacrifice. The monarchy could survive by feeding Andrew to the wolves at regular intervals, while quietly reinforcing the palace gates.

That’s the best gloss. In fact, the fate of Andrew matters because he reminds us of the peculiarly uncomfortable nature of our constitutional arrangements. Monarchy, like the hereditary peerage, is based on DNA, on family, on blood. The Duke of York, like his brother, is not quite a private figure, nor is he an entirely public one. They all live in a world of semi-transparency, where relationships, money and influence blur jarringly into one.

Andrew’s avarice seems to have known few bounds. But, as we learned recently, the King and Prince William also rake in unimaginable sums by virtue of birth. Like a 13th-century baron, the King trousers eye-watering sums of money from the Duchy of Lancaster, an outfit dating back to 1265 and which requires no actual work in return. Last year, Charles pocketed over £27m on top of his sovereign grant from this source. And that doesn’t include the undeclared income he receives from his estates at Sandringham and Balmoral.

William, on top of his income from the sovereign grant, receives an additional £23.6m from the Duchy of Lancaster. His personal income is reportedly six times the combined salary of all the elected heads of state in Europe.

So, yes, Andrew – by looking so bad – could make the top ranks of royalty look good. Alternatively, he’s a reminder that the whole show relies on the rest of us not looking too closely. Maybe that small palace in Abu Dhabi is not the worst idea.

BA flight attendant ‘caught naked and high on drugs in plane toilet’

A British Airways flight attendant was found high on drugs and completely naked in an onboard toilet during a flight from California to London, a court has heard.

Haden Pentecost, 41 – who was described as agitated, sweating and babbling – had to be stood down by the flight’s manager when he failed to help with any pre-flight safety checks.

After complaining of stomach cramps and saying he needed to change his clothes, the air steward locked himself in one of the plane’s bathrooms.

When he opened the door, his colleague found him naked and oblivious to the fact that he had no clothes on. She had to dress him before moving him into a free seat, the court was told.

Mr Pentecost appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to performing an aviation function while impaired by drugs.

The flight attendant was spoken to by the captain before a health professional was called for, magistrates were told.

He had dilated pupils, a high heart rate, and had to be checked every 20 minutes until the plane arrived at Heathrow – where paramedics took him to hospital.

A blood test later revealed Mr Pentecost had methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system, the court heard.

He has since been sacked by British Airways, and lives with his husband, the court was told.

Mr Pentecost, of Basingstoke, was granted bail to be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court at a later date.

British Airways has been approached for comment.

Trump’s justice department expected to start sharing Epstein files with Congress today

The Justice Department is expected to start turning over documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation to the House Oversight Committee from Friday.

Earlier this month, the committee subpoenaed the DOJ regarding the criminal case against the late convicted sex offender and financier that has recently shaken the top levels of President Donald Trump’s administration, attracting myriad conspiracy theories.

Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the Republican committee chair, said in a statement that the DOJ has many records and gave it time to ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material is redacted.

Once received, the committee plans to make public some of the Epstein files, a spokesperson told CNN. It is not clear when that will be.

The Epstein files became one of the biggest scandals of the Trump presidency when the DOJ and FBI announced in July that no further disclosures would be made regarding the case.

That followed years of now senior administration officials spreading conspiracies about Epstein’s “client list” and promising to release the documents.

Members of Trump’s MAGA base, many of whom were eagerly anticipating bombshell revelations, were infuriated.

The White House has since been working overtime to contain the fallout.

Summer escapes made easy: find your perfect sunbreak fuss-free

When it comes to booking your summer getaway, finding the perfect break can sometimes feel like a bit of a challenge. Whether it’s a fun-packed family holiday, a romantic couples trip, an activity-filled solo break or a group trip where you need to tick everyone’s travel boxes, there’s a lot to consider, and a vast range of options to choose from. So it can be tricky knowing where to start.

To make it easier to plan your perfect break, holiday experts Travel Republic have you covered, whether you’re researching dream destinations or making last-minute plans. With over 20 years of travel know-how, plus big-name airlines, top hotels and exciting attractions – they make booking your next great value getaway easy, affordable and totally stress free.

From trending destinations to incredible money-saving deals and travel ideas tailored to you, Travel Republic has everything you need to find and book your perfect trip. On top of all that, they offer flexible payment plans, super low deposits, are ATOL protected and offer all the holiday extras you need such as car hire, airport parking, transfers and travel insurance.

Ready for some travel inspo? Here’s our guide to four diverse, versatile destinations that offer it all: dreamy beaches, family entertainment, culinary delights, active adventure, and history and culture by the spadeful.

With over 6000 islands and islets, 200 of which are inhabited, not to mention a culture-rich mainland, Greece definitely has something for every type of traveller. For couples, friends and singles looking to party, head to the clubs and beach parties of Ios, Zante (Zakynthos) or Mykonos – enjoy the growing foodie scene in the pretty white-washed, streets of Mykonos Town, while adrenaline junkies will feel at home on the water, with kitesurfing, windsurfing, scuba diving and jet skiing on offer. For sandy beaches and calm waters, book into the islands of Rhodes or the family friendly Kos. If chilling on the beach is your priority, some of the world’s best can be found in Crete or Halkidiki – sporty types take note of the 13km scenic coastal cycling route. Or head to Faliraki with the kids for banana boat rides, snorkelling and splashing about at Faliraki Waterpark.

History lovers won’t want to leave Greece: explore the archeological wonder that is the Athens Acropolis, walk the capital’s charming old Plaka neighbourhood and stop at one of the many local cafes to enjoy souvlaki, moussaka and gyros. For another UNESCO World Heritage Site, visit the island of Corfu’s Old Town and submerge yourself in a world of Venetian cobbled streets, fortresses and tunnels.

Whether you want the perfect package holiday with breathtaking beaches, buzzing bazaars and cafes on your city break or a boutique stay to explore a multitude of ancient ruins, Turkey has a dream holiday for everyone.

Istanbul will keep every generation entertained: visit the impressive Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosques, go haggling in the Grand Bazaar, then grab a traditional pide (folded pizza) and a Turkish tea before making a trip to the array of castles and fortresses. There’s also a zoo, aquarium and entertainment parks.

Turkey has an abundance of historical sites, with many accessible from top beach resorts such as Side and Izmir. Head to the Dalaman region, often referred to as the Turquoise Coast in reference to the picture-perfect Blue Lagoon beach. Make the short journey from Daylan town to the magnificent ancient port city of Kaunos, which dates back to the 9th century BC and be sure to go turtle spotting at the neighbouring İztuzu Beach. Thrill seekers should head to the nearby resort of Fethiye, to spy its rugged scenery and historic sites from a paraglider. While Marmaris offers everything from parties and waterparks to romance. Head inland to Anatolia to experience the ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations of Cappadocia from the skies in a hot air balloon — a true bucket list experience.For resorts that offer a bit of everything, choose Bodrum and Antalya for everything from Roman ruins, bazaars and nightclubs to yacht-filled marinas, waterparks and pristine beaches. Lots to keep little ones entertained, and party goers busy while couples can enjoy luxe adult-only hotels.

From the Costas to the Canaries and Barcelona to the Balearics, Spain really does have it all. If it’s a city break you’re after, choose the cosmopolitan capital of Madrid: take in art at the impressive Prado Museum, stroll through the peaceful Royal Botanic Gardens and tour the famous Bernabeu Stadium, home to the mighty Real Madrid. Or if you like beach vibes with your culture, opt for the city of Barcelona. Visit the Gothic Quarter for breathtaking architecture, marvel at the iconic Sagrada Família and enjoy tapas and cava in the narrow streets of the El Born district – home to the Moco and Picasso museums.

For full-on beach action, stay on the mainland and choose between Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Brava or the ‘Golden Coast’ of Costa Dorada. Here,Salou is a good option for those looking for buzzing restaurants and bars, active types keen on coastal walks, kayaking and snorkelling and kids keen to mix rollercoasters and waterparks at PortAventura theme park.

If you’re more about ‘island life’ there’s no shortage of options: head to Ibiza or Majorca for parties galore and secluded beaches with crystalline waters or opt for one of the equally idyllic Canaries. For a break that feels out of this world, choose volcanic island Lanzarote, which offers pristine white sand beaches across the island, including the main holiday resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa de los Pocillos, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca. The latter offers a wealth of bars and restaurants, waterparks, 5km promenade and lively marina with a daily market.

Dramatic coastlines with crystal clear waters, buzzing city life with pop-up restaurants and dolphin and whale watching for wildlife lovers are just some of what is on offer in Portugal, making it a must-visit for group and solo travellers alike. Head to the south coast for the holiday haven of the Algarve, home to some of Europe’s top beaches. There’s 30km of coastline to enjoy at Albufeira alone, peppered with beachfront family friendly and adult-only hotels. Be sure to explore the cobbled streets and palm tree-lined squares of the Old Town before settling down for local seafood specialities including the Cataplana stew. Want to get active? Hike the coastal Seven Hanging Valleys Trail for views of rock formations against the backdrop of turquoise waters. While nightlife lovers should head to the Algarve cities of Lagos and Faro for rooftop cocktails and tunes that play until the sun comes up.

For culture fans, head to capital city Lisbon for countless museums, galleries and beautiful historic buildings including the huge, Gothic Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lose yourself in the cobbled alleyways of the Old Town of Alfama and soak up the smells and tastes of Portuguese baking including the delicious Pastéis de Belém. Beach lovers worry not, you can have sand between your toes after a quick bus ride, while surf lovers can train it to Estoril or Cascais to catch some waves.

For more travel ideas, inspiration and great value getaways, visit Travel Republic

Six charged over Palestine Action raid face 18-month trial wait

Six protesters accused of breaking into an Israeli-linked defence firm as part of a Palestine Action raid face an 18-month wait in prison before their trial.

The alleged attack was estimated to cause £1m worth of damage to property at Elbit Systems UK’s Bristol site in August 2024.

The defendants were allegedly armed with sledgehammers when they broke into the defence firm’s site in the early hours of 6 August. Elbit Systems UK is a subsidiary of the Israeli defence company Elbit Systems.

Finn Collins, 19, Harland Archer, 20, Salaam Mahmood, 19, Moiz Ibrahim, 27, Louie Adams, 33, and Liam Mullany, 33, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder. They were told they could have to wait until February 2027 for their case to be tried.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told the court that Woolwich Crown Court, where the case will be heard, does not have the capacity for a trial of over six people at the same time, and so a date in 2027 has provisionally been fixed.

Some 24 people have now been charged in connection with the incident.

Elbit Systems UK could be close to winning a £2bn defence contract for the Army Collective Training Service, it has been reported. The UK defence programme would overhaul army training, and Elbit is one of a consortium of defence companies bidding for the 15-year contract, The Times reported.

Muhammad Umer Khalid, 22, also appeared in court on Friday in connection with a separate incident linked to Palestine Action. Khalid allegedly took part in an attack on two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, resulting in an estimated £7m worth of damage to the Voyager planes.

On 20 June 2025, protesters on e-scooters allegedly broke into the military base and used fire extinguishers to spray red paint and threw metal crowbars into the engines.

Following the Brize Norton incident, Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist group, making it an offence to be part of or express support for the group.

Khalid is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for purposes prejudicial to the UK’s national security.

He was remanded into custody, with a provision trial date set for January 2027. Khalid, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, is the fifth person to be charged in connection with the incident.

Famine in Gaza officially declared for the first time despite continued Israeli denials

A famine is unfolding in Gaza for the first time since the start of Israel’s two-year-long war against Hamas, the world’s leading monitor of hunger crises has declared.

The declaration was made on Friday by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the main global hunger monitor working with the UN and other aid agencies. The IPC warned in an interim statement in July that famine was imminent, but stopped short of making a declaration at the time.

The IPC said famine was occurring in the governorate of Gaza, which includes Gaza City and its surrounding towns, which is home to some 500,000 people. It is expected to spread to other areas including Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September, the report warned, at which point more than one million people will be affected.

To declare a famine, the IPC dictates that at least 20 per cent of households must experience extreme food scarcity, 30 per cent of children must suffer from acute malnutrition, and two people per 10,000 must die daily from starvation.

“After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions, characterised by starvation, destitution and death,” the IPC said.

This marks “the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region”, the IPC briefing said, although the region has suffered hunger crises historically.

Israel does not accept there is widespread malnutrition among Palestinians in Gaza and disputes the hunger fatality figures given by the health ministry in the Hamas-run Strip.

Israel began allowing more food into Gaza in July following a global outcry at pictures of emaciated children, though aid agencies say this still falls far short of the needs of the people living there. The Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory rejected the IPC report on Friday, calling it “false and biased”.

Earlier this week the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that nearly half a million Palestinians in Gaza were on the brink of famine and stressed for urgent need for a ceasefire to expand humanitarian aid.

The volume of aid reaching Gaza remains too small and distribution too chaotic to stop more people becoming malnourished, while those who are already starving or vulnerable are not getting life-saving supplements, three hunger experts and aid workers from six agencies told Reuters.

In the 22 months following the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas, 89 fatalities were attributed to malnutrition or starvation, mostly children under 18. In just the first 20 days of August, there were 133 deaths, including 25 under 18s, the Gaza health ministry said on Wednesday.

“We are seeing the worst possible humanitarian catastrophe that we can even measure,” said Jeanette Bailey, a child nutrition lead at the International Rescue Committee, a New York-based aid organisation.

There are “going to be a lot more children dying, a lot more pregnant and lactating women suffering from malnutrition”, she told Reuters.

Gaunt-looking Aisha Wahdan gave her eight-month-old son Hatem fortified milk from a bottle, saying that before coming to hospital she tried to wean him on wild plants such as carob, chamomile and thyme because she could not breastfeed. “There was no milk. I used natural herbs and tried everything because there was no milk substitute,” she said.

Some ordinary baby formula, needed for those whose mothers are dead or unable to breastfeed, or when the child is unwell, has entered Gaza since the aid blockade was loosened, UNICEF said on Tuesday. However, the agency said it only has stocks for 2,500 babies for a month and estimates that at least 10,000 babies need formula.

“Without consistent entry and distribution of items like specialised supplementary feeding items – high energy biscuits and fortified foods – we are watching a preventable crisis turn into a widespread nutrition emergency,” said Antoine Renard, Palestine country director of the WFP.

“At first it affects the most vulnerable groups but of course that will broaden,” he said.

COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for aid, said in a 12 August media statement that most deaths attributed to malnutrition by Palestinian health authorities were caused by other medical conditions. Malnutrition experts say deaths among people with existing health problems are typical in the early stages of a hunger crisis.

Israel has recognised shortages of food, but blames the United Nations for failing to effectively distribute supplies and Hamas for stealing it, which the groups deny. An official Israeli review found “no signs of a widespread malnutrition phenomenon among the population in Gaza”, COGAT said.

The famine declaration comes as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to order the occupation of Gaza City, while also saying he wants to negotiate the release of the last remaining hostages held by Hamas after its 7 October attack on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people.

The Gaza health ministry said Thursday that at least 62,192 Palestinians have been killed in the war.