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Benjamin Netanyahu, despite widespread international reactions, defended his plan to take control of Gaza City. Senior UN officials warned that this move could lead to "another catastrophe" in a region already facing "hunger".

At a rare press conference with foreign journalists in Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the plan, approved last week by the security cabinet despite domestic and international criticism, is "the best way to end the war and to end it quickly".

However, at an emergency weekend meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, repeated warnings were made that this move, instead of ending the 22-month war, would further worsen the already dire humanitarian situation.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca said: "If these plans are implemented, they will likely cause another catastrophe in Gaza, resonate across the region, and lead to further forced displacement, killing, and destruction".

Amid these heated statements, the Gaza Health Ministry announced that five more people, including two children, had died from causes related to malnutrition, bringing the number of deceased children to 100. The ministry states that the total number of deaths from malnutrition, including adults, stands at 217.

OCHA Coordination Director Ramesh Rajasingham said at the Security Council meeting: "This is no longer an impending hunger crisis; this is literally famine".