AYRSHIRE, Scotland (BN24) — U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt on Israel’s assertion that there is “no starvation” in Gaza, telling reporters during a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday that images from the region suggest otherwise.
Speaking at Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire following bilateral discussions on the Middle East conflict, Trump responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that reports of widespread hunger in Gaza are “a bald-faced lie.”
“I don’t know,” Trump said when asked if he agreed with Netanyahu. “I mean, based on television, I would say, not particularly, because those children look very hungry.”
The president’s comments come amid mounting international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where food scarcity and medical shortages have worsened dramatically. Aid agencies and the United Nations have warned that famine conditions are imminent, despite ongoing international efforts to deliver emergency assistance.
Trump acknowledged the role the United States and other allies are playing in relief efforts, stating, “We’re giving a lot of money and a lot of food. And other nations are now stepping up. I know that this nation is right here.”
Prime Minister Starmer, who has been working on a UK-led peace initiative, described the situation in Gaza as “an absolute catastrophe,” emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire. “People in Britain are revolted at seeing what they’re seeing on their screens,” he said. “We’ve got to get to that ceasefire. Thank you, Mr President, for leading on that… America has done a lot on this. A lot of countries have done a lot.”
In recent days, Starmer has also held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The UK, in partnership with Jordan, has begun airdropping food into Gaza and evacuating children in need of medical care. British military planners have also been deployed to support logistics.
However, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, criticized such moves as insufficient, warning they serve as “distractions” from addressing systemic access and delivery barriers caused by the conflict itself.
While Netanyahu maintains that there is “no policy of starvation in Gaza,” images of emaciated children and deteriorating conditions in hospitals have increased scrutiny of Israel’s handling of the conflict. Trump, when pressed on whether Israel had done enough to prevent civilian casualties, offered a blunt assessment: “I think nobody’s done anything great over there — the whole place is a mess. It’ll get straightened out, but it’s a mess.”
Starmer is expected to call an emergency Cabinet meeting this week—unusual during Parliament’s summer recess—to address the worsening crisis and finalise the UK’s diplomatic position.
Calls are also intensifying within Britain for formal recognition of Palestinian statehood. A letter signed by 221 members of Parliament, including 131 Labour MPs, urges the UK to back Palestinian sovereignty during an upcoming UN session. France has signaled its intention to formally recognize Palestine in September.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister remains committed to a two-state solution and that recognition must be part of a broader peace plan that secures long-term safety for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also weighed in, criticizing Netanyahu’s leadership but warning against what he called the premature “rewarding” of Hamas. “Netanyahu is losing friends,” Farage said, “but we should be careful not to embolden extremism in the name of diplomacy.”
