Doctors in Gaza are treating patients whose emaciated bodies reflect the growing humanitarian catastrophe, as international experts confirmed that famine has gripped parts of the war-torn enclave.

At Al-Ahli Hospital, Texas spinal surgeon Mohammed Adeel Khaleel described a 17-year-old gunshot victim whose ribs were protruding and who motioned to his mouth to indicate hunger.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s top authority on hunger crises, declared that Gaza City is officially in famine.

This announcement followed months of warnings that Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive were pushing the territory to the brink.

The IPC warned that famine is expected to spread unless there is an immediate ceasefire and large-scale humanitarian access.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that eight more people died of malnutrition in the 24 hours after the declaration, bringing the total to at least 281 since the start of the war.

MedGlobal, a U.S. nonprofit, reported that one in six children under 5 in Gaza is suffering from acute malnutrition.

Israel rejected the famine designation, calling it "an outright lie" and blaming Hamas for diverting aid.

The United Nations and relief groups counter that Israeli restrictions and lawlessness on the ground have prevented food from reaching the most vulnerable.

Doctors say the evidence is clear, with patients like a 15-year-old girl whose recovery from airstrike wounds has been hampered by severe weight loss.

Displaced families also expressed fears of starvation.

"We’re starving," said Dalia Shamali, who fled her home in Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood.

"We eat once a day." The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire as the international community struggles to respond effectively.