In an unusual stance compared to his previous statements on the Gaza War, Donald Trump stated that there is famine in the Palestinian enclave, thus contradicting Benjamin Netanyahu, who denied the humanitarian crisis criticized by leaders such as those of Great Britain, France, and Germany.
The President of the United States made these statements at his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, during an official meeting with the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.
Why does Trump now acknowledge the humanitarian crisis in Gaza?
Trump said that the situation in Gaza is “one of the main reasons” for meeting with Starmer and stated that his priority is to “feed” all those people who gather at humanitarian aid distributions.
The President of the United States also expressed disagreement, in his own way, with Netanyahu and Israel, who have stated that there is no famine in Gaza and that the images reported by agencies are isolated cases: “Based on television, I would say those children look very hungry.” He then added that “that cannot be ignored.”
Trump also said that “right now, for me, that is the priority, because there are many people dying of hunger” and accused Hamas of using hostages as a “shield”, so he has not ruled out deciding to act differently.
The Republican leader stated that they will set up food distribution centers in the Gaza Strip. “We will do it in collaboration with very competent people,” adding that “other nations” will join the United States, such as the United Kingdom, although he did not provide further details.
Trump has also reported that these centers will not have fences and people “will be able to walk without limitations.”
The president’s words were endorsed by Vice President JD Vance, who in Ohio said that the Trump administration is “very concerned about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza” and that they will seek ways to ensure that hungry children receive food, as reported by NBC News.
Despite Netanyahu stating that there is no famine in Gaza, this Sunday the Israeli army announced a “tactical pause” of ten hours daily in its military activity in three areas of the Palestinian enclave to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid “until further notice.”
Trump dismisses possible UK recognition of Palestine
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is under pressure from both Labour and Conservative MPs to join France in recognizing the Palestinian State. On Friday, Starmer said that his country was seeking a broad peace and that recognition was one of those steps, although he did not give a deadline.
Trump downplayed the stance that Britain may take: “I don’t care... what I’m looking for is to feed the people.”
Currently, more than 140 countries have recognized Palestine, but the main Western world powers such as the United States, Canada, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and the United Kingdom have not. Spain joined in May 2024, and France will officially recognize Palestine at the next UN General Assembly in September.