U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would begin assisting with aid distribution in Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference in Scotland alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump described what is happening in Gaza as “real starvation.”
“We’re going to set up food centers, and we’re going to do it in conjunction with some very good people, and we’re going to supply funds, and we just took in trillions of dollars, a lot of money, and we’re going to spend a little money on some food,” Trump said. “We have all of the European nations joining us, and others also called, and they want to be helpful.
“We’re gonna set up food centers where people can walk in and no boundaries,” he added. “We’re not gonna have fences. They see the food from 30 yards away and they see the food. It’s all there, but nobody’s at it because there are fences set up and nobody can even get it, it’s crazy what’s going on over there.”
The United States previously tried to supply aid to Gaza during the Biden administration via airdrops and the installation of a floating aid pier. The aid pier mission was beset with problems and cost some $230 million for only limited benefit.
Trump was also asked if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there was no starvation in Gaza.
“I don’t know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,” Trump said.
He added that Israel has “a lot” of responsibility for limiting aid to Gaza and that it “can do a lot” to increase food access in the coastal enclave.
In his more than hour-long press conference, Trump covered a range of issues relating to the war against Hamas, including the terror group’s use of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages as human shields and their theft of food aid.
Trump also described conversations with Netanyahu about what Israel’s response should be if the number of living hostages that Hamas holds decreases.
“I said a long time ago, at a certain point, they’re not going to be talking, because they’re going to lose their shield,” Trump said. “You’re going to get down to a number, and the number is going to be at a point where you’re not going to be able to get them back, unless you’re going to be very energetic, or to put it a different way, unless you got to be very ruthless, violent. It’s a bad situation to be in.”
The U.S. president said he believes that Iran interfered in the latest round of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, which saw both Israel and the United States withdraw their negotiators from Doha after U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said that Hamas was not acting in “good faith.”
“Iran, I think, interjected themselves in this last negotiation,” Trump said. “Iran has been sending out bad signals, I’ll tell you. For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very bad signals, very nasty signals.
“I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders, and that’s not good,” Trump said.
Trump declined to take a position about the possible recognition of a Palestinian state, but also said he doesn’t mind if Starmer followed France’s lead in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
“I’m not going to take a position. I don’t mind him taking a position, I’m looking for getting people fed,” Trump said. “Right now, to me, that’s the number one position, because you have a lot of starving people.”
