Trump: Many starving in Gaza, food centres to be set up
As the war in Gaza nears its second anniversary, local health authorities say nearly 60,000 people have been killed and an increasing number are now dying from hunger and malnutrition. Images of emaciated children have sparked global outrage and growing criticism of Israel over the worsening humanitarian conditions.
Describing the situation as one of real starvation, Trump's comments appeared to diverge from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on Sunday that 'there is no starvation in Gaza,' a statement he reposted on X on Monday.
Speaking during a visit to Scotland, Trump said Israel had a responsibility to ensure aid delivery. 'You have a lot of starving people,' he told reporters. 'We're going to set up food centres' with no fences or barriers, he added, noting that the US would work with other countries to deliver food and sanitation aid.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours from hunger, raising the total death toll from starvation to 147. Of those, 88 were children, most of whom died in recent weeks.
NEW ISRAELI MEASURES FOLLOW CEASEFIRE COLLAPSE
Over the weekend, Israel announced new humanitarian steps including daily pauses in fighting across three areas, additional corridors for aid trucks, and aerial drops of supplies. The announcement came shortly after the collapse of ceasefire talks on Friday.
Palestinians say conditions on the ground remain dire. Wessal Nabil, a mother of three in Beit Lahiya, said she was doing everything she could to calm her hungry children. 'When you go to bed hungry, you wake up hungry,' she said. 'We distract them with anything... to make them calm down.'
'I call on the world, on those with merciful hearts, to be kind to us, to ensure that aid reaches us,' she added.
Israeli defence officials said growing international pressure and deteriorating conditions had prompted the new humanitarian measures.
UN WARNS OF WORSENING HUNGER
United Nations agencies stressed the need for consistent and large-scale aid. The World Food Programme said it sent 60 trucks on Monday, below its target. Nearly 470,000 people are in famine-like conditions, the agency said, including 90,000 women and children in urgent need of therapeutic nutrition.
'Our target at the moment, every day, is to get 100 trucks into Gaza,' said WFP Regional Director Samer AbdelJaber.
Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said the crisis is worsening by the day. 'Children are dying every single day from starvation, from preventable disease. So time has run out,' he told Reuters.
Netanyahu has denied accusations of using starvation as a war tactic. A COGAT spokesperson said there was no time limit on the new pauses, contradicting the UN's statement that Israel had agreed to a one-week humanitarian scale-up.
'We hope this pause will last much longer than a week, ultimately turning into a permanent ceasefire,' said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher's spokesperson, Eri Kaneko.
TRUMP AND NETANYAHU DISCUSS HOSTAGE PLANS
Trump also said Hamas had become more difficult to deal with in recent days but confirmed he was discussing "various plans" with Netanyahu to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The war began on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters crossed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Since then, Israel has carried out an intense military campaign in Gaza.
The Gaza health ministry said Israeli strikes had killed 98 Palestinians in the past 24 hours.
Some aid trucks that reached Gaza were reportedly seized by desperate civilians and armed groups. 'Aid comes for the strong who can push ahead and grab a sack of flour,' said Emad, a 58-year-old former factory owner in Gaza City. 'That chaos must be stopped.'
The WFP said it has 170,000 metric tonnes of food in the region, enough to feed Gaza's entire population for three months if granted access.
COGAT said more than 120 truckloads of aid were delivered in Gaza on Sunday by the UN and partner agencies. More aid was expected Monday, with Qatar sending 49 trucks via Egypt. Jordan and the UAE also conducted supply airdrops.
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