President Trump says U.S. will set up ‘food centers’ in Gaza amid ongoing starvation crisis

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 speaking in Scotland on Monday disclosed the U S and other nations are giving money and food to Gaza but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has got to sort of like run it I want him to make sure they get the food Trump mentioned I want to make sure they get the food Trump s comments seemed to product from the images in latest days of the worsening hunger dilemma in Gaza and were more urgent than the resigned message he had about the -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 petitioned if he agreed with Netanyahu s comments on Sunday in which the Israeli leader disclosed There is no initiative of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza I don t know Trump replied Monday I mean based on television I would say not particularly because those children look very hungry Trump 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 hours a day to help with the distribution Trump on Friday had expressed particular 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 announced last week that Hamas was likely going to be hunted down and stated of Israel They re going to have to fight and they re going to have to clean it up 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 Keir Starmer at his Trump s Turnberry golf lesson noted that the U S was going to set up food centers but he didn t offer specifics The White House did not this instant 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 Abdel Fattah el-Sissi disclosed 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 Please make every effort to stop this war and deliver the aid el-Sissi commented addressing Trump in his remarks I believe that it s time to end this war Trump stated Hamas has stolen food and aid trying to reach people in Gaza but when sought by a reporter about what responsibility Israel has for limiting aid to the area he disclosed Israel has a lot of responsibility But he promptly stated Israel was also hampered in its actions as it seeks to keep the remaining hostages kept in Gaza alive When requested by what more can Israel do Trump reported 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 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 disclosed US and UK leaders discuss Gaza as UN discusses Israel-Palestinian two-state cure Starmer who faces pressure from his Labour Party to recognize a Palestinian state as France did last week mentioned the U K supports statehood for the Palestinians but it must be part of a plan for a two-state remedy Trump noted last week that France s recognition of a Palestinian state doesn t carry any weight I m not going to take a position Trump mentioned Monday of recognizing a Palestinian state He added of Starmer I don t mind him taking a position The comments came as the U N General Assembly on Monday brought together high-level authorities to promote a two-state answer to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict Israel and the U S are boycotting the two-day meeting