WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to get people food, seemingly recalibrating his stance on Gaza as images of emaciated children have sparked renewed worries about hunger in the war-torn territory.
Trump, on Monday, said that the U.S. and other nations are giving money and food to Gaza but that Israeli Prime Minister has “got to sort of like run it.â€
“I want him to make sure they get the food,†Trump said. “I want to make sure they get the food.â€
President Donald Trump expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza Monday and said the U.S. will set up food centers but urged Israel to "make sure they get the food.†Trump made the comments alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer who called the situation "absolutely intolerable." (July 28, 2025)
AP VideoTrump’s comments seemed to result from the images in recent days of the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza and were more urgent than the resigned message he had about the 21-month Israel-Hamas war last week, when ceasefire talks derailed. His remarks Monday also marked a new divergence from Netanyahu after the two leaders had become closer following their nations’ join strikes in Iran.
The U.S. president was asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s comments on Sunday in which the Israeli leader said, “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza.â€
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu denied widespread reports of starvation in Gaza on Sunday and blamed Hamas for stealing aid. “What a bold-faced lie. There is no policy of starvations in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza,†he told an event led by conservative U.S. pastor Paula White in Jerusalem. (July 27, 2025)
(AP video by Alon Bernstein)“I don’t know,” Trump replied Monday. “I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry.â€
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday disagreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims that there was no starvation in Gaza. Speaking to reporters during a visit to Scotland Trump said "based on television . . . those children look very hungry." (July 28, 2025)
AP VideoTrump says US will set up food centers in Gaza
In the face of mounting international criticism, the Israeli military over the weekend began airdrops of aid, along with limited pauses in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day to help with the distribution.
Trump on Friday had expressed some resignation about the situation in Gaza after the U.S. and Israel pulled their negotiating teams out of talks in Qatar to try to reach a ceasefire. Trump said last week that Hamas was likely “going to be hunted down†and said of Israel, “They’re going to have to fight and they’re going to have to clean it up.â€
But Trump seemed more inclined to action on Monday after reports of starvation-related deaths and images of people, especially young children and infants, struggling to get food continued to emerge over the weekend, drew international outcry.
The U.S. president, speaking as he visited with British Prime Minister at his Trump’s Turnberry golf course, said that the U.S. was “going to set up food centers,†but he didn’t offer specifics.
The White House did not immediately have more information about the food centers.
International outcry grows louder
While Trump urged Netanyahu to do more to deliver aid, the U.S. leader faced similar pleas.
Egyptian President said in a televised address on Monday that Trump is “the one who is able to stop the war, deliver the aid and end this suffering.â€
“Please, make every effort to stop this war and deliver the aid,†el-Sissi said, addressing Trump in his remarks “I believe that it’s time to end this war.â€
Trump said Hamas has stolen food and aid trying to reach people in Gaza, but when asked by a reporter about what responsibility Israel has for limiting aid to the area, he said, “Israel has a lot of responsibility.â€
But he quickly said Israel was also hampered in its actions as it seeks to keep the remaining 20 hostages kept in Gaza alive.
When asked by what more can Israel do, Trump said, “I think Israel can do a lot.†But he didn’t offer more details and changed the subject to Iran.
“We have to help on a humanitarian basis before we do anything. We have to get the kids fed.â€
Starmer was more adamant than Trump, calling it “a desperate situation†in Gaza.
“I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they are seeing on their screens,†he said.
Vice President echoed Trump’s comments as he spoke Monday in Canton, Ohio and said the U.S. was worried about the humanitarian problem in Gaza and seeing “a lot of starving children.â€
“Israel’s got to do more to let that aid in and we’ve also got to wage war on Hamas so that those folks stop preventing food from coming into this territory,†he said.
US and UK leaders discuss Gaza as UN discusses Israel-Palestinian two-state solution
Starmer, who faces pressure from his Labour Party to recognize a Palestinian state as France did last week, said the U.K. supports statehood for the Palestinians but it must be part of a plan for a two-state solution.
Trump said last week that “doesn’t carry any weight.â€
“I’m not going to take a position,†Trump said Monday of recognizing a Palestinian state. He added of Starmer, “I don’t mind him taking a position.â€
The comments came as the on Monday brought together high-level officials to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict.
A United Nations High-level conference on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine got underway in New York on Monday. Israel and its close ally the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. (July 28, 2025)
AP VideoIsrael and the U.S. are boycotting the two-day meeting.
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Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel and Julie Carr Smyth in Canton, Ohio contributed to this report.
