Desperate Palestinians holding pots and plastic containers rushed to receive rice at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Saturday, just a day after the United Nations declared a famine in the war-ravaged region.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines Famine as a situation in which at least one in five households has an extreme lack of food and face starvation and destitution, resulting in extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death.

Hospital officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 33 Palestinians sheltering in tents or seeking scarce food aid.

Gaza City and surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine, and it will likely spread, a global hunger monitor determined on Friday, an assessment that will escalate pressure on Israel to allow more aid into the Palestinian territory.