People are starving in Gaza. Why are we so comfortable just letting that happen?
The situation in Gaza is continuing to get worse. There have been more than 125 deaths due to malnutrition since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023, and more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food. About 470,000 people are being affected by famine-like conditions, according to the World Food Program.
The images coming out of Gaza are horrific, showing emaciated children starving due to a lack of resources. Things have gotten so bad that two Israeli human rights groups said on July 28 that the country was committing genocide in Gaza, a claim that had already been made by Amnesty International and a United Nations special committee.
President Donald Trump has the power to do something about this. Whether he actually steps up to the plate is unlikely.
I run a soup kitchen in Gaza. The horrors of starvation here are indescribable. | Opinion
Trump seems concerned about starvation in Gaza. Will he do anything?
Trump acknowledged the issue at a July 28 news conference when he was asked if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that there is 'no starvation in Gaza.' The U.S. president seemed to disagree that there is no starvation.
'Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,' Trump said.
He went on to say that the United States would 'be even more involved,' and said he'd ask Netanyahu to ensure that these children received food.
I'm not about to celebrate Trump's bare minimum answer. He does not deserve a pat on the back for acknowledging a humanitarian crisis, even if it goes against a U.S. ally. It's good that he wants people to get food, but I'll believe he means it when aid trucks are finally able to make their way into Gaza.
Netanyahu has yet to respond to Trump's claims.
If Trump were truly empathetic to Palestinians, he would stop the United States from sending military aid to Israel and instead focus on getting aid into Gaza. In the first year of the war against Hamas, our country sent $17.9 billion to Israel; the $30 million Trump recently designated to aid distribution is a fraction of that.
If Trump truly believes this has reached the level of a humanitarian crisis, he needs to be focusing on providing relief to the people of Gaza and threatening to withhold aid to Israel until this crisis is subdued. Trump could also show that he is capable of diplomacy and cutting deals by working to reignite ceasefire conversations between Israel and Hamas after those talks were abandoned on July 25.
Opinion: Trump must think big with Israel. It's time for a Palestinian state.
Why are we just standing around while kids starve?
Currently, Israeli leaders seem to have no interest in alleviating the hunger plaguing the people of Gaza. They say it's because Hamas has routinely stolen aid from the United Nations, even though there is no proof of this, according to The New York Times (there is proof of the group stealing from smaller organizations).
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It can be easy to feel as though we have no agency over this conflict as ordinary people, but something can be done. We cannot turn away as people are starving, especially when our country is capable of doing something about it.
Yes, it's important to fight terrorism, and what Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023, is unforgivable. But innocent people, innocent children, continue to suffer because of this conflict. The United States has the power to alleviate this suffering as a close ally to Israel. We must demand intervention before this catastrophe gets any worse.
While posting photos and infographics about the starvation on social media might make you feel good, it is no substitute for calling your elected officials and demanding something be done, nor is it as effective as protesting in the streets.
To many people in my generation, this is the greatest issue of our lifetime. We must continue to speak up about the injustices we're witnessing and demand that things change as these horrors persist.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno
You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump acknowledging starvation in Gaza isn't enough | Opinion
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