Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza

What happened

President Donald Trump Monday acknowledged that there is "real starvation" in Gaza and suggested that Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians. His assessment, delivered during a press conference alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement Sunday that "there is no starvation in Gaza."

Who said what

"Based on television," the Gaza "children look very hungry," Trump said. "Some of those kids are — that's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake that." He said the U.S. and other allies would "set up food centers" in Gaza where "people can walk in and no boundaries" will keep them from getting aid. But Netanyahu has "got to sort of like run it," Trump added. "I want him to make sure they get the food."

It "wasn't immediately clear whether Trump was referring to a new American effort" or the violence-plagued Israeli-backed program in place since Netanyahu partially lifted an aid blockade in May, The Wall Street Journal said. The White House said details would be "forthcoming."

Trump is "seemingly recalibrating his stance on Gaza as images of emaciated children" spark "renewed worries" about malnutrition and starvation, The Associated Press said. His "rare" and "sharper-than-usual criticism" of Netanyahu follows "growing condemnation" of Israel's Gaza war domestically and from some of America's "closest allies," Politico said. Starmer said at Monday's news conference that "people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they are seeing on their screens."

What next?

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading global authority on food crises, said Tuesday morning that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip," and predicted "widespread death" without immediate action.

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