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.

As Israel sets out to expand military operations in Gaza, a senior Israeli official told Newsweek that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sticking behind U.S. President Donald Trump 's vision of transforming the war-torn Palestinian territory into a coveted Middle East destination.