Trump says there is 'real starvation' in Gaza and U.S. will set up food centers

President Donald Trump said Monday that there was “real starvation” in Gaza, breaking with Israel as the U.S. ally faces intense pressure to lift restrictions on aid with hunger spreading in the besieged enclave.

LONDON — President Donald Trump said Monday that there was “real starvation” in Gaza, breaking with Israel as the U.S. ally faces intense pressure to lift restrictions on aid with hunger spreading in the besieged enclave.

His comments came amid mounting global outrage over rising deaths from malnutrition under Israel’s military offensive on the territory.

The new trickle of aid that Israel has allowed into Gaza since the weekend is not enough to stave off famine, aid groups have warned.

Speaking in Scotland, Trump said that the U.S. would set up food centers in Gaza as “we have to get the kids fed.” He disagreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assessment that there is “no starvation in Gaza.”

Trump said that he had seen images of Palestinians on TV and that “those children look very hungry.” He later added that the scenes were “real starvation” and that “you can’t fake that.”