The UN World Food Programme (WFP) director said the comprehensive famine in northern Gaza might spread south. Northern Gaza is experiencing "full-blown" famine, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Director Cindy McCain. 

"Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens," she said during an interview with NBC aired on Saturday. 

"What I can explain to you is - is that there is famine - full-blown famine - in the north." 

McCain warned mass starvation was "moving its way south", where the vast majority of Gaza's population has fled fighting between Israel and Hamas. 

The UN has claimed since mid-March that northern Gaza is "nearing" a state of famine, though the organisation has not yet officially stated one had begun.

Human Rights Watch recently reported that children were dying from starvation-related complications in Gaza, claiming Israel was using starvation as a "weapon of war" - a war crime under international law.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said in March that Israel was "provoking famine" as a weapon of war.