Gaza: US President Donald Trump has challenged that there is real starvation in Gaza, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that such reports are ‘a bold-faced lie.’
Speaking in Scotland alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump commented on images of malnourished children in Gaza, stating that, “I don’t know, those children look very hungry, that’s real starvation stuff.” Trump added that, “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’s remarks follow a warning from UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who stressed that Gaza needs ‘vast amounts’ of aid to avoid famine. While welcoming recent Israeli moves to allow limited aid via airdrops and daily 10-hour military pauses, Fletcher remarked that, “It’s the beginning, but the next few days are really make or break.”
According to the UN, fewer than 100 lorries of food aid were collected, despite Israeli claims that 120 were ready. The UN official also warned that Israel’s temporary humanitarian pauses may only last about a week, clearly insufficient to tackle the growing hunger crisis. He called for a sustained aid operation over weeks or months and ultimately, a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reported 14 more deaths from malnutrition over the past 24 hours, bringing the total since October 2023 to 147, including 88 children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said 63 of those deaths occurred in July alone, noting a dangerous trajectory in child malnutrition.
The Israeli government maintains it is not responsible for the shortages. The Israeli military said its humanitarian actions , including secure corridors and resumed airdrops by Jordan and the UAE aim to counter what it calls false claims of deliberate starvation.
Despite these efforts, international organisations say the humanitarian response remains far below what is needed. The WHO condemned the deliberate blocking and delay of essential supplies.
Netanyahu’s office said Israel would cooperate with international partners to ensure large amounts of humanitarian aid flow into Gaza.
Since Israel began its military campaign following the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to 251 hostage cases, at least 59,821 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
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