Scotland [UK], July 29 : US President Donald Trump has acknowledged the severe hunger crisis in Gaza after months of largely deflecting questions on the issue, stating that the United States would increase food aid to the war-hit enclave, The New York Times reported.
During a 75-minute press session with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday, Trump pledged to "set up food centers" in Gaza, although he offered no specifics on how aid would reach the enclave that has faced more than 20 months of Israeli bombardment and aid restrictions.
"We're giving money and things," Trump said, adding, "I want to make sure they get the food, every ounce of food."
According to The New York Times, Trump's shift in tone came after meetings with several European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Starmer, who reportedly spoke of a "sense of revulsion" at the suffering in Gaza.
"That's real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can't fake that," Trump said. "We have to get the kids fed."
At least 56 Palestinians died from starvation this month alone, nearly half of the total deaths from hunger since the war began 22 months ago, the Gaza Health Ministry stated on Saturday. International agencies and medical experts have repeatedly warned that a famine is sweeping through the region due to Israel's tight restrictions on food and medicine.
Earlier, Trump had drawn criticism for downplaying the humanitarian catastrophe, reportedly complaining that the United States had not received gratitude for the aid already provided.
"Nobody said, 'Gee, thank you very much,'" Trump remarked on Sunday. "And it would be nice to have at least a thank you."
During a meeting with von der Leyen, he called the crisis "not a U.S. problem, it's an international problem," while reiterating frustrations over a lack of recognition for America's contributions. The New York Times noted that his administration recently approved $30 million in funding for an Israeli-backed aid system in Gaza run mostly by American contractors.
However, Trump's remarks on Monday marked a notable departure from his recent stance, as he criticised the existing distribution mechanisms and called for more accessible aid delivery.
"We're going to set up food centers and where people can walk in and no boundaries. We're not going to have fences," he said. "They see the food. It's all there, but nobody's at it because they have fences set up that nobody can even get it. It's crazy what's going on over there."
He added that Britain would support the United States in the new aid push.
Trump also appeared to distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent claims that there was no starvation in Gaza.
"I don't particularly agree with that, Trump said, adding, "The children look very hungry."
Despite Trump's assertion that "no other nation gave money," The New York Times reported that the European Union had spent approximately $605 million on Gaza aid since 2023, according to the European Commission.
The hunger crisis in Gaza has become one of the worst humanitarian emergencies in recent memory, with over two million Palestinians living amid widespread destruction and shortages of essential supplies. Trump's remarks have raised questions about whether his "America First" foreign policy can adapt to a crisis that demands multilateral humanitarian leadership, the New York Times noted.