Saying he believes there is “real starvation” in Gaza, President Donald Trump said the United States would set up barrier-free food centers in the beleaguered enclave, according to JTA.
The pronouncement, made in response to questions from reporters during an appearance in Scotland, came as a surprise, as the United States is already operating a humanitarian aid effort that has been criticized for being inaccessible and dangerous.
It also offered the latest sign of daylight between Trump and the Israeli government, which maintains that there is no starvation in Gaza even as it has begun ramping up aid efforts amid an international outcry.
“Some of those kids are — that’s real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Trump told reporters, referring to widely circulated footage of hungry children in Gaza that he said he had seen “on television.”
At least two of the most searing viral images, defenders of Israel contend, do not reflect starvation but the ravages of congenital illness.
Trump said he would work with “European allies” to improve access to aid by setting up distribution points unlike those currently operating in Gaza.
The distribution sites operated by the U.S.-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation have been plagued by near-daily shootings of aid-seekers, who must wait at a distance until distribution begins.
“The people can walk in and [there will be] no boundaries. We’re not going to have fences,” Trump said of the sites he envisioned. Of the current situation, he said, “They see the food from 30 yards away … but nobody’s there because they have fences set up that nobody can even get it. It’s crazy what’s going on over there.”
Trump said he would press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver more aid.
“I want him to make sure they get the food. I want to make sure they get the food, every ounce of food,” he said.
