New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, its first such declaration in West Asia, with experts warning that 500,000 people face "catastrophic" hunger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, slammed the UN-backed declaration calling the report "an outright lie".

"The IPC report is an outright lie," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office, referring to the Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative.

The Gaza strip, which is now gripped by famine, also saw two people starve to death in 24 hours, mentioned a report by Al Jazeera.

"Children are paying the highest price in the conflict," a Gaza programme co-ordinator with the US-based Internati...