![President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington D.C., United States on 17 April, 2025 [Celal Güneş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AA-20250417-37663769-37663765-DONALD_TRUMP_GIORGIA_MELONI_MEETING_AT_THE_WHITE_HOUSE.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1)
US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will provide assistance to help ensure food reaches Palestinians in Gaza, while avoiding criticising Israel’s role in restricting the delivery of lifesaving aid.
Speaking at a White House event yesterday, Trump was asked about the severe difficulties Palestinians in Gaza face to access food due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
“Hamas is making it impossible, because they’re taking everything that’s brought in. But we’re going to help the people of Gaza because they’re being treated very badly by Hamas,” Trump replied.
The president did not address Israel’s continued refusal to allow aid into the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, far-right Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu called on the Israeli occupation army to starve the people of Gaza and bomb food warehouses.
Speaking to the Hebrew-language Channel 7, Eliyahu said, “There’s no problem with bombing fuel and food warehouses,” adding, “the people of Gaza should go hungry, they should go through the emigration plan.”
Eliyahu belongs to the far-right Jewish Power Party, led by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Eliyahu further argued that military force should be escalated, saying: “The discourse about bringing in humanitarian aid weakens combat capability.”
READ: Israel’s Ben-Gvir reiterates insistence on starving Gaza, displacing Palestinians
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