Trump pledges to "make things right" in Gaza, Netanyahu holds consultations

US President Donald Trump said that Israel and the United States are working together to try to "fix the situation" in Gaza, as famine intensifies in the besieged Palestinian enclave and international pressure mounts for aid deliveries and a ceasefire.

Trump reiterated his comments on the suffering in Gaza on Tuesday, saying the situation there is "very bad, and children are hungry and should be fed."

He added that the United States would work with Israel on food distribution centers in Gaza, but made clear that the Israelis wanted to oversee those centers. He noted that he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges.

"I spoke with Netanyahu two days ago, and he doesn't want Hamas to seize aid," he continued, referring to allegations refuted by a US government review, in which the US Agency for International Development concluded there was no evidence that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had seized humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, the US president distanced himself from Western moves to recognize a Palestinian state, after Britain announced Tuesday that it would recognize Palestine in September unless Israel takes concrete steps to end the suffering in Gaza and bring peace. This announcement comes days after France announced its decision to formally recognize the Palestinian state.

Trump said, "I did not discuss Britain's decision to recognize a Palestinian state," stressing that "the United States does not belong to that camp."

"Starmer and Macron share the same position on Israel, and that doesn't mean I agree with them," he added.

For his part, Netanyahu said that Israel continues to work in every way to "return the hostages," and has not ceased its efforts to reach a deal since the Israeli negotiating team returned from Qatar.

He reiterated his accusations that Hamas was "the obstacle to the deal," while the Israeli opposition and prisoners' families accused him of thwarting attempts to conclude an agreement, at the behest of the most extremist faction within his government.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said this evening that Netanyahu held additional consultations on the prisoners' issue, without providing details.

Since October 2023, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a war of extermination against the population of the Gaza Strip. This war has so far resulted in the martyrdom of more than 60,000 Palestinians, the injury of approximately 146,000, and the displacement of nearly the entire population of the Strip, amidst destruction unprecedented since World War II, according to Palestinian and international reports.

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