Portions of Gaza are enduring famine, a UN-backed hunger monitor said Friday in a determination Israel rejected as fabricated and political.

Why it matters: This is the first time that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has said famine exists in Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago.

* The IPC, which was established by the UN, aid groups and governments, monitors global hunger and is the primary tool the international community uses to conclude whether famine occurs.

Driving the news: The IPC determination comes several weeks after reports of growing starvation in Gaza led to significant international pressure on Israel, including from President Trump, to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

* Israel relented in July and allowed delivery of aid into Gaza after four months of various restrictions.

* Despite significant amounts of aid entering Gaza daily in the last three weeks, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The collapse of law and order in Gaza means most of the aid gets looted rather than distributed to the enclave's most vulnerable people.

* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday approved the detailed plan for the IDF to occupy Gaza City. As part of the offensive, Israel is expected to displace more than 800,000 Palestinians — a step that will likely exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.