'Based on TV it's no' – Trump rejects Netanyahu claim on Gaza famine

Donald Trump has rejected claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that famine does not exist in Gaza and told Israel that regarding their offensive against Hamas "maybe they have to do it in a different way."

On Sunday, Netanyahu said that accusations that his country was conducting a campaign of starvation in Gaza are a "bold-faced lie," adding: "There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza."

He said Israel had "enabled the amount of aid required by international law to come in" and claimed Hamas "steals this humanitarian aid and then accuses Israel of not supplying it."

Speaking outside his hotel at Turnberry golf club in Scotland on Monday after talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, U.S. President Trump said people in Gaza needed "to get food and safety right now" and that he wanted to get ceasefire talks restarted.

Trump stated he will work with European allies to "set up food centers" in Gaza. Asked if he agreed with Netanyahu's assessment on starvation, he said: "I don't know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry. You have a lot of starving people in Gaza."

Trump later added: "Some of those kids are – that's real starvation stuff."

Asked if Israel had done all it could to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, Trump added: "Nobody's done anything great over there. The whole place is a mess. I told Israel maybe they have to do it a different way."

Aid groups said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people, and international alarm over the humanitarian situation has increased.

A group of 25 states including Britain, France and Canada said Israel's denial of aid was unacceptable. Netanyahu said Israel would continue to allow the entry of humanitarian supplies whether it is fighting or negotiating a ceasefire and vowed to press on with the campaign until "complete victory."

Genocide accusations

Meanwhile, Israeli human rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel said on Monday they had concluded the war in Gaza amounts to a "genocide" against Palestinians, a first for Israeli NGOs.

Both organizations are frequent critics of Israeli government policies, but the language in their reports issued was their most stark yet.

"Nothing prepares you for the realization that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us," B'Tselem executive director Yuli Novak told a news conference unveiling the two reports.

"As Israelis and Palestinians who live here and witness the reality every day, we have a duty to speak the truth as clearly as possible," she said. "Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians."

A spokesman from the Israeli prime minister's office, David Mencer, denounced the allegation.

"We have free speech here in Israel but we strongly reject the accusation," he said. "Our defense forces target terrorists and never civilians. Hamas is responsible for the suffering in Gaza."