A new analysis of UNICEF and UN-related data is reshaping one of the most persistent narratives in global media over the past two years. While social networks were flooded with accusations of a “famine in Gaza”, the numbers presented in a report highlighted by journalist Daniel Greenfield point to a very different picture. The findings reveal that obesity among Gazan and West Bank Palestinians significantly exceeds the rates found in Israel.
Greenfield’s article, published by the Center for Frontpage Magazine, compiles existing studies and official figures from Palestinian and UN sources. These include long standing reports showing high obesity levels among both children and adults in Gaza even before the current conflict. A decade-old study found that one in five Gazan adolescents was overweight or obese. A Gaza Ministry of Health report cited 9.6 percent of the population as diabetic, causing over 11 percent of local deaths.
A 2019 study noted that nearly half of adults over 42 in Gaza had Type 2 Diabetes. Combined with earlier data showing widespread childhood obesity, the pattern was already clear well before recent accusations of food shortages.
The most striking update comes from UNICEF, whose recent comparison shows higher obesity percentages in the so-called Palestinian territories than in Israel. In the 5 to 9 age group, 23 percent of Israeli children were classified as overweight, compared to 28 percent in the Palestinian territories. Among children aged 10 to 14, the rates were 28 percent in Israel and 33 percent in the Palestinian areas. For teens aged 15 to 19, 19 percent of Israelis were overweight, compared to 32 percent across Gaza and the West Bank.
The adult figures are even more stark. According to the Global Obesity Observatory, adult obesity in the Palestinian territories stands at 38.5 percent. Israel, by comparison, ranks far lower with a 23 percent adult obesity rate. In global rankings, the Palestinian territories fall into what would be the 27th highest obesity rate worldwide if counted as an independent country.
Greenfield notes that these figures challenge ongoing claims of famine. He emphasizes that while actual hunger crises persist in nations such as Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, billions in humanitarian aid continue to flow to Palestinian populations. Some of this aid is funneled through UNRWA, which maintains long standing refugee infrastructures in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. The article argues that these systems contribute to long term welfare dependency rather than genuine famine relief.
The comparison goes beyond Gaza. Regional numbers show that high obesity rates are also common among Arab Muslim populations in neighboring states. Egypt, Jordan and Syria all rank significantly higher than Israel on global obesity lists. Lebanon’s position is attributed to its mixed religious demographics, with its Christian and secular communities influencing overall averages.
Greenfield’s article also brings attention to similar patterns in Yemen, where years of coverage portraying mass starvation stood in contrast with data showing increasing population numbers and childhood obesity rates comparable to or exceeding those in Gaza.
The author ultimately argues that international institutions and media outlets have amplified claims of starvation without aligning them with available data. He concludes that while accusations against Israel dominated global discussions, the underlying health statistics show a more complex reality that has been largely overlooked.
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