One in five people in the Gaza Strip are facing starvation as the entire territory edges closer to famine, a new United Nations-backed report warns, after nearly three months of Israel’s blockade of critically needed humanitarian aid.

Israel’s government has publicly dismissed warnings of extreme food shortages after it blocked aid deliveries, but an internal analysis concluded that a crisis looms if food supplies are not restored.

The Gaza Strip is facing an imminent famine as Israel’s blockade and military campaign continue to restrict food, water, and medical aid, according to global food security experts. Nearly half a million Palestinians are living in “catastrophic” hunger,