Trump on Gazans: 'We want Israel to get them fed'

WASHINGTON

The US wants Israel to ensure that Palestinians in Gaza receive the food they need, President Donald Trump said Sunday.

"We want Israel to get them fed. We're giving some pretty big contributions, basically to purchase food so the people can be fed," Trump told reporters before returning to Washington from his golf resort in New Jersey.

"We don't want people going hungry and we don't want people to starve," he added.

Asked about a visit to Gaza on Friday by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to inspect the operations of the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Trump said he was doing a "great job."

When asked whether Witkoff had observed evidence of a "genocide" in Gaza perpetrated by Israel, however, Trump stopped short of describing it as such.

"I don't think — (it's) sad. Look, they're in a war," he said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US provided $60 million in food aid to Gaza. However, recent reports indicate that only $3 million has been disbursed so far.

Witkoff visited an aid center in southern Gaza on Friday operated by the GHF. He said the aim was to give Trump "a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza."

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave and led to severe food shortages and deaths by starvation.​​​​​​​