Trump insists Hamas is stealing food amid Gaza hunger crisis
President Trump on Sunday said Hamas is stealing food that was meant for people in Gaza, telling reporters multiple times that goods are being stolen when pressed on the hunger crisis in the region.
The president, while sitting next to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Scotland, was asked for his response to the images of starving children in Gaza.
"When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, they're stealing the money, they're stealing the money for the food. They're stealing weapons, they're stealing everything," the president said.
He added, "It's a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didn't work out too well."
The Israeli military has reported that there is no proof that the Palestinian militant group had systematically stolen aid.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel's military said it will start a "tactical pause" in fighting in Gaza amid mass starvation concerns.
Trump said he spoke recently with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding, "I talked to him about a lot of things. I talked to him about Iran."
He said the U.S. would send more aid into Gaza and pressed other nations to contribute as well, suggesting that would be part of his conversation with der Leyen.
And, he reiterated the claims about Hamas stealing food.
"It's not a U.S. problem, it's an international problem," Trump said on Gaza.
"If we weren't there. I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it's not like they're eating well, but a lot of that food is getting stolen by Hamas. They're stealing the food, they're stealing a lot of things. You ship it in and they steal it, then they sell it," he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also insisted that Hamas has stolen the food on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday and noted that Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., and other Israeli officials told him that Hamas has stolen "a huge amount" of food since the start of the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.
Trump on Sunday said that the U.S. gave $60 million in aid for Gaza two weeks ago, but said that "nobody even acknowledged it."
"Nobody acknowledged it, nobody talks about it, and it makes you feel a little bad when you do that, and no other countries give anything," he said.
He said that Israel has to decide what happens next in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
"What's going to happen? I don't know," Trump said. "Israel's going to have to make a decision. I know what I'd do but I don't think it's appropriate that I say."
The Trump administration last week said it was leaving Gaza ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas for failing to engage in good faith. Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for peace missions, said the administration is considering alternative plans to secure the freedom of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the future governance of the territory.