WASHINGTON

The US State Department acknowledged Tuesday that humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip remains insufficient, and said President Donald Trump is preparing additional steps to address the deepening crisis.

“Of course, with President Trump’s leadership, as he noted yesterday, (the U.S. will) do even more to assist when it comes to food and other aid,” spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said at a media briefing.

Bruce said Trump’s new plan to increase food assistance for Gazans would be announced soon, calling it a continuation of the administration’s push to increase humanitarian access amid reports of widespread hunger.

“What I will note about what's happening on the ground, of course, is what our focus is on, which is getting more aid in, (and) getting a ceasefire -- which has not been accomplished, because Hamas refuses to do so.”

Trump said Monday that there will be food centers set up in Gaza where "people can walk in without boundaries," admitting publicly that "real starvation" is happening in the besieged enclave.

Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and worsening conditions for the territory’s 2.4 million population.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 147 people have died of starvation since October 2023, including 88 children.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to a severe hunger crisis.