Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - Donald Trump has challenged Israel's claim that there is "no starvation" in Gaza during talks on the humanitarian crisis with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland.
Meeting at Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire, the US President and
the Prime Minister discussed the ongoing Middle East conflict, with Trump
describing the situation in Gaza as "a mess."
“They have
to get food and safety right now,” Trump said as he welcomed Starmer.
The Prime Minister, who planned to present a UK-led peace
initiative, described the crisis as “an absolute catastrophe.” Over the
weekend, he also held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and German
Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Britain, in collaboration with Jordan, is carrying out aid
airdrops into Gaza and evacuating children needing medical care. Military
planners have also been deployed to assist. However, the head of the UN’s
Palestinian refugee agency has called such efforts a "distraction"
that will not sufficiently address the growing hunger crisis.
Recent images of starving children and warnings from aid
agencies have increased scrutiny on the Israeli government. Despite this,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed it is a “bald-faced lie” to
say he is using starvation as a tactic.
“There is no
policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza,” Netanyahu
said.
Trump offered a different view. When asked if he agreed with
Netanyahu, he replied,
“I don’t
know. I mean, based on television, I would say, not particularly because those
children look very hungry.”He added that the US was providing significant
humanitarian aid and acknowledged the UK’s contributions: “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.”
Standing beside him, Starmer said, “People in Britain are
revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screens, so 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.” When asked whether
Israel had done enough to avoid civilian casualties, Trump responded, “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 convene an emergency Cabinet meeting
this week—unusual during Parliament’s summer recess to discuss the escalating
crisis
Downing Street stated that the Prime Minister is focusing on
a pathway to peace, immediate relief efforts, and a long-term two-state
solution. He is facing growing pressure, including from within his party, to
formally recognise Palestinian statehood. France has already signaled its
intention to do so in September.
A letter signed by 221 MPs from multiple parties—including 131 Labour
MPs—urges the UK to follow suit at a UN meeting next week.
The UK government has maintained that recognizing Palestinian statehood is
a question of "when, not if," but insists it must come as part of a
broader strategy ensuring long-term security for both Palestinians and
Israelis.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticized Netanyahu’s handling of Gaza but
warned against what he described as "rewarding Hamas" through
premature recognition of Palestinian statehood, adding that the Israeli Prime
Minister is "losing friends."
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