US President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged the presence of “real starvation” in Gaza, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent assertion that claims of hunger in the war-torn enclave are a “bold-faced lie.”
Speaking in Scotland during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump was asked whether he agreed with Netanyahu’s dismissal of reports about food shortages in Gaza. “I don't know... those children look very hungry... that's real starvation stuff,” he said, referring to widely circulated images from the conflict zone.
“Nobody’s done anything great over there. The whole place is a mess... I told Israel maybe they have to do it a different way,” Trump added, appearing to criticise the Israeli government’s handling of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
His comments came just days after the United Nations' humanitarian chief called for “vast amounts” of food aid to prevent widespread famine in Gaza, warning that current levels of assistance were dangerously inadequate.
Israel, which maintains control over all land crossings into Gaza, has repeatedly denied that starvation is occurring, attributing claims of a humanitarian catastrophe to what it calls “Hamas propaganda.” In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli military began implementing what it described as measures to improve the humanitarian response. This included 10-hour daily "tactical pauses" in military activity across three areas in Gaza, and the establishment of designated aid corridors.
According to the Israeli military body COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories), more than 120 truckloads of aid were delivered through crossings on Sunday, and hundreds more were reportedly awaiting collection by the UN and other agencies. The military also allowed airdrops of aid by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to resume, despite warnings from humanitarian groups that such methods were dangerous and inefficient.
On Monday night, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office acknowledged the difficulty of the situation in Gaza but reiterated that Hamas was “manipulating” public perception. A statement said Israel would work with international partners, including aid organisations, the U.S., and European countries, to ensure large volumes of humanitarian aid reach civilians. However, it maintained that Hamas was releasing “unverified numbers” and distributing “carefully staged or manipulated” images to suggest a worse crisis than what exists.
Despite Israel’s denial, Trump’s remarks lend weight to the mounting international pressure on Israel to increase aid access and reassess its tactics in Gaza amid growing global concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
