Trump speaks on 'real starvation' in Gaza
President Donald Trump did something notable Monday — he broke with Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a prominent way, over Netanyahu’s comment that there is “no starvation in Gaza.”
Speaking in Scotland, Trump said that the U.S. would set up food centers in Gaza as “we have to get the kids fed,” NBC News’ Chantal Da Silva writes. Trump said he had seen images of Palestinians on TV and that “those children look very hungry.” He later added that the scenes were “real starvation” and that “you can’t fake that.”
His views were echoed by Vice President JD Vance, who in response to a question from NBC News’ Henry Gomez on a trip to Canton, Ohio, said the Trump administration was “very worried about the humanitarian problem in Gaza” and wanted to make sure that starving children got food.
The comments from the president, a firm ally of Netanyahu, came amid mounting global outrage over rising deaths from malnutrition amid Israel’s military offensive on the territory.
The Israel Defense Forces yesterday started carrying out limited pauses in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day. But aid groups have warned that the trickle of aid entering the enclave is not enough to stave off famine.
“This is progress, but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis,” United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in a statement.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, Trump said that the U.S. would be working with its European partners to address the crisis in Gaza. He offered few other details about the plan.