US president pledges increased aid to Gaza amid humanitarian crisis
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Israel will “have to make a decision” on its next move in Gaza following the collapse of ceasefire talks.
Referring to hostage talks, Trump stressed the urgency of securing their release, saying Hamas had "hardened" its stance and added: "They don't want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision."
“I know what I'd do, but I don't think it's appropriate that I say it. But Israel is gonna have to make a decision,” Trump told reporters at a press appearance with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland.
A deal with Hamas may be possible once the number of hostages is reduced, he said, adding: “Once they give them up, then they feel that that’s going to be the end of them.”
“We gave $60 million 2 weeks ago” for food to Gaza, Trump said, complaining that “nobody acknowledged it; nobody talks about it. It makes you feel a little bad when you do that, and you have other countries not giving anything.”
The president said without US aid, people in Gaza “would have starved” and accused Hamas of stealing and claimed: “A lot of that food is getting stolen by Hamas… they steal it, and then they sell it.”
He said the US will send more aid to Gaza and urged other countries to do the same, adding that the situation in Gaza is “not a US problem; it’s an international problem.”
Earlier, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff announced the US delegation would return to Washington, DC, after Hamas’ response showed a “lack of desire” for a Gaza ceasefire. The US will now consider “alternative options” to secure hostages and stabilize Gaza, he added.
Since March 2, Israel has walked back on implementing a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas while keeping Gaza’s crossings closed and blocking hundreds of aid trucks from entering the besieged enclave.
Rejecting international pressure for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a deadly campaign against Gaza since late 2023, killing more than 59,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Deaths by starvation have risen sharply in recent weeks due to a months-long blockade and mismanaged aid operations by the controversial GHF.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave, now in its second year.
