Trump claims Gazans are ‘starving,’ blames Hamas theft

President Donald Trump tells reporters Gazans are suffering from starvation – contradicting claims by Israel – and vows to help secure humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump claimed that the civilian population in the Gaza Strip is now suffering from starvation, in a direct contradiction of claims by Israel’s military.

The president responded to questions in the White House Monday, including one regarding the planned expansion of the Israeli ground operation inside the Gaza Strip.

Claiming Gazans “are starving,” Trump lambasted the Hamas terror organization, blaming the Islamist group for the alleged famine.

Trump vowed to ensure that food reaches Gazan civilians, without providing details.

“We’re going to help the people of Gaza get some food. People are starving, and we’re going to help them get some food,” Trump said

“A lot of people are making it very, very bad. If you look, Hamas is making it impossible because they’re taking everything that’s brought in,” the president added.

“But we’re going to help the people of Gaza, because they’re being treated very badly by Hamas.”

Israel’s military, however, estimates that Gaza’s existing food stores will last until the end of May.

Trump’s comments came just hours after Israel’s Security Cabinet voted unanimously to approve plans to broaden the ground operation in Gaza, including the capture and long-term occupation of territory and the evacuation of Gaza’s entire population to the southern Gaza Strip.

The Security Cabinet also voted, with one dissension, to give preliminary approval to a new mechanism to deliver humanitarian aid to Gazans, with the goal of minimizing Hamas’ theft of incoming goods.

The plan, which has no timeline for being implemented, calls for the creation of secured aid depots in southern Gaza, inside the IDF security perimeter and guarded by private American contractors.

Aid will be distributed from the depots directly to representatives of each household in Gaza, with several days’ worth of food handed out at a time.

Donald TrumpGaza humanitarian aidgaza stripHamas