The Israeli government has said it was not responsible for a chronic shortage of food in Gaza, instead accused Hamas of deliberately creating a crisis, AFP reports.

“In Gaza today there is no famine caused by Israel,” government spokesman David Mencer told reporters after more than 100 aid and rights groups warned of “mass starvation” and urged Israel to unblock aid.

“There is a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas,” Mencer added, accusing the fighters of preventing food from being distributed and looting aid for themselves.