President Donald Trump said the United States wants to help Palestinians in Gaza, where hunger is rapidly worsening as the Israel-Hamas war rages on. His remarks came at the close of a multi-nation tour of the Middle East, though the president did not visit Israel.
“We’re looking at Gaza and we got to get that taken care of,” Trump said on Friday, May 16, according to The New York Times. “A lot of people are starving. A lot of people. There’s a lot of bad things going on.”
Trump is returning to the U.S. without a new ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel has increased both the number and intensity of its airstrikes on Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated earlier this week that Israel will not halt its operations until Hamas is defeated.
Trump recently struck a deal with Houthi militants opposed to Israel. He agreed to stop U.S. attacks if the Houthis stopped targeting American ships in the Red Sea. The agreement did not stop Houthi attacks on Israel.
Deadly strikes in Gaza, civilian toll mounts
The United Nations said Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are “in terror” following a series of deadly Israeli strikes in northern Gaza early Friday. According to the Hamas-run civil defense agency, more than 100 people were killed in Friday’s attack, most of them women and children. The agency does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
The Israel Defense Forces claimed Hamas placed military infrastructure in civilian structures such as hospitals and mosques.
Israel’s military said it was “operating to locate and dismantle terrorist infrastructure sites” and had “eliminated several terrorists” in the past day, the BBC reported.
Pressure campaign for hostage release
Israel continues to increase military pressure in what it said is an effort to secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas. It remains unclear how many of the hostages are still alive.
“This is part of preparations to expand operations and fulfill the objectives of the war — including the release of hostages and the dismantling of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X. “IDF troops will continue to operate in order to protect Israeli civilians and achieve the objectives of the war.”
Blockade sparks global concern
Israel has restricted the movement of necessities — including food, clean water, and humanitarian supplies — into Gaza for more than 70 days, according to The New York Times. The international community is calling for an end to the blockade as the humanitarian crisis deepens. The IDF maintained that Hamas takes the supplies.
Aid organizations warned there is a growing risk of famine in Gaza as thousands face critical food shortages.
Trump’s plan to get food and supplies into Gaza remains unclear, especially as his relationship with Netanyahu appears increasingly fragile.
“I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month,” Trump told reporters on Friday. “We have to help also out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza.”
During his visit to Riyadh, Trump spoke about the possibility of Saudi Arabia officially making peace with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords.
