Militant group Hamas condemned what it called U.S. President Donald Trump’s “denial of the famine in Gaza” and hit back against accusations that its members were stealing aid meant for Palestinians.
Trump had called Gaza “a mess” and said it was up to Israel to “make a decision” on its next steps in the territory. The comments came as the Israeli military began a limited 10-hour pauses in fighting across three areas of the strip on Sunday to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
The latest friction follows a major setback in talks over a ceasefire agreement in Gaza after Israel and the United States—citing a “lack of good faith” by Hamas—withdrew their negotiators last week, a move Hamas said was negative.
Washington under Trump has backed Israel’s position that Hamas is stealing and obstructing humanitarian aid.
What To Know
Izzat al-Rishq, a top Hamas official, said Trump’s remarks “blatantly echo” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “narrative and lies,” in an Arabic statement released on Monday on Telegram. The Israeli leader previously dismissed claims that his government had been pursuing a policy of starvation in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters in Scotland the previous day, Trump said: “The U.S. is giving a lot of money. If we weren’t there, I think people would have starved, frankly. Gazans were “not eating well” because Hamas was stealing the aid, he said.
Aid groups have criticised distribution of assistance through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a U.S.-funded, Israeli-coordinated mechanism. Palestinians have described aid hubs as “death traps” due to Israeli gunfire. Israel says it fires to maintain security and crowd control and to prevent supplies from falling into the hands of militants. The GHF has blamed U.N. groups that have refused to work with it for a failure to get more aid into Gaza.
The U.N. Human Rights Office said 613 Palestinians were killed near GHF aid sites and convoys in its first month. Israeli fire killed at least a dozen more in the past day as they sought food, The Associated Press reported.
“The U.S. accusations regarding so-called ‘aid theft’ are baseless claims without any supporting evidence,” said al-Rishq, who added that the comments gave Israel “additional cover to continue its campaign of starvation and genocide.”
He cited a Reuters report on a recent USAID assessment that found no substantial evidence that Hamas had been systematically stealing large amounts of aid in Gaza.
While humanitarian groups warn of the deepening risk of famine in Gaza, Netanyahu on Sunday categorically rejected the concerns as a “a bold-faced lie.” He said at a press conference in Jerusalem: “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza.”
Had Israel not facilitated the flow of aid throughout the war, “there would be no Gazans,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli military has declared a “tactical pause” in Deir al-Balah, Gaza City and Muwasi to allow aid delivery and safe passage of U.N. convoys. Jordan and the UAE also conducted airdrop missions to deliver food and supplies.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that ceasefire negotiations have become “meaningless” under “siege and starvation.”
What People Are Saying
Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Rishq in a statement on Telegram: “We strongly condemn President Trump’s denial of the famine in Gaza, despite testimonies from the United Nations and international organizations, and the deaths of dozens of children due to hunger caused by the blockade and starvation policy enforced by the occupation, which prevents the entry of food and medicine through authorized humanitarian channels.”
U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in Scotland: “When I see the children, especially over the last couple of weeks, and people are stealing the food, they’re stealing the money, money for the food, weapons—they’re stealing everything. It’s a mess.”
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on X: “Failure? The failure is an aid system so paralyzed by politics and pride it would rather let people starve than work with those delivering results. If the goal is getting aid to civilians, not headlines, then we’ve already proven what works. 95 million meals and counting. Now imagine what’s possible if the rest of the world joined us.”
What Happens Next
Trump is pledging more aid to Gaza. The U.S. and Israel have yet to lay out alternate plans to secure the release of Israeli hostages after ceasefire talks collapsed.
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