Addressing Gaza’s worsening humanitarian catastrophe dominated discussions between former U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their Monday meeting in Scotland. Speaking at Trump’s Turnberry golf resort, Trump emphasized that feeding Gaza’s population was the “number one priority” due to widespread starvation, while sidestepping questions on Palestinian statehood. The U.S. has provided $60 million in humanitarian aid, he said, urging other nations to increase support.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured Trump on Sunday that European countries would “step up very substantially” in delivering aid, according to the former president. Starmer echoed concerns over deteriorating conditions, calling the crisis an “absolute catastrophe” and stating that British citizens were “revolted” by images of suffering. Trump confirmed plans to discuss the humanitarian situation further with the UK leader, though he declined to comment on French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls to recognize Palestinian statehood, calling it premature.
The dialogue also touched on stalled efforts to secure hostage releases. Trump criticized Hamas for refusing to free more captives, both living and deceased, claiming the group had backtracked on earlier commitments. He reiterated advising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adjust his strategy, though specifics remained undisclosed. “I told Bibi that you have to maybe do it a different way,” Trump said, reiterating remarks made the previous day.
Hope for a ceasefire appeared fragile. While Hamas has expressed willingness to release hostages under a truce agreement—submitting a response to a U.S.-backed proposal in Doha last week—Israel withdrew its delegation from talks shortly afterward. Asked about potential progress, Trump offered a noncommittal response: “A ceasefire is possible, but you have to end it.”
Meanwhile, Israel announced new measures to facilitate aid, including daily pauses in military operations across three Gaza regions and expanded safe corridors for supplies. However, UN agencies insist these steps fall short of addressing famine risks, citing severe food shortages and dwindling medical resources. Gaza’s health ministry reported 14 starvation-related deaths in the past day alone, raising the hunger death toll to 147 since the war began—89 of them children, many perishing in recent weeks.
Netanyahu dismissed accusations of orchestrating a “starvation campaign” in Gaza as a “bald-faced lie,” asserting Israel complies with international law and blames Hamas for diverting aid. The Israeli government had blocked all supplies to Gaza from March until May, enforcing stricter controls upon reopening crossings. As diplomatic tensions flare, the immediate focus remains on mitigating a humanitarian disaster with no clear resolution in sight.
