US President Donald Trump has stated that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza, which remains under siege as local rescuers reported more than 74 fatalities from Israeli air strikes, reports RTE.
Mr Trump’s brief remarks about Gaza were made at the conclusion of his first foreign trip during his second presidential term, a tour that included several Gulf nations but notably excluded close ally Israel.
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which lasted two months, fell apart in March. This happened shortly after Israel reinstated a full blockade on Gaza, which aid organisations claim has led to severe shortages of food, reports RTE.
According to Gaza rescue teams, Israeli bombings and shelling on the Palestinian enclave today caused the deaths of 74 individuals, an update from earlier casualty numbers.
Mahmud Basal, spokesperson for civil defence in Gaza, stated that “74 martyrs as a result of the ongoing Israeli bombardment across the entire Gaza Strip since last night until this moment,” most of whom were located in the northern part of the territory. This came after an earlier report of more than 50 deaths, reports RTE.
When contacted by AFP for comment, the Israeli military did not respond regarding the latest strikes.
These new casualties follow earlier reports from Palestinian rescue teams that over 100 people died in Israeli air raids on Gaza the day before. On Wednesday, rescue services recorded at least 80 fatalities across the region, reports RTE.
“We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving,” Mr Trump told journalists while in Abu Dhabi, reports RTE.
On March 2, Israel halted humanitarian aid to Gaza—a strategy officials say aims to pressure Hamas, which still holds many Israeli hostages taken in the October 2023 attacks.
Hamas declared yesterday that resuming the flow of humanitarian supplies to Gaza is “the minimum requirement” for any potential negotiations.
The group also issued a warning that Gaza was not “for sale,” hours after Mr Trump again raised the idea of transforming the enclave into a “freedom zone” under US involvement, reports RTE.
“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good… let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” Mr Trump said during his stop in Qatar, adding that he would be “proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone”, reports RTE.
These remarks echo earlier proposals he made in February, where he suggested the US “take over” Gaza and rebuild it as “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
Reacting to this, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said: “Gaza is an integral part of Palestinian land – it is not real estate for sale on the open market.”
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The war was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise assault on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,218 people—mostly civilians—according to AFP’s tally based on official data, reports RTE.
Of the 251 hostages captured during the incursion, 57 remain in captivity within Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has declared dead.
The health ministry in Gaza reported that since Israel resumed its air campaign on March 18, an additional 2,876 people have died, bringing the total war death toll to 53,010, reports RTE.
Israeli news outlets noted that the military had intensified its operations in Gaza following recent government approval of a plan to reclaim the territory earlier this month.
The Israeli army said it was investigating these reports, reports RTE.
Israel’s main advocacy group for the families of hostages still being held in Gaza criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of failing to capitalise on a key diplomatic opportunity.
“The hostages’ families woke up this morning with heavy hearts and great concern in light of reports about increased attacks in Gaza and the imminent conclusion of President Trump’s visit to the region,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, reports RTE.
“Missing this historic opportunity would be a resounding failure that will be remembered in infamy forever,” reports RTE.
However, another group supporting hostage families advocated for a stronger military approach.
“The military pressure must be much stronger, with high intensity, and coordinated with diplomatic pressure, a complete siege, cutting off water and electricity,” the Tikva Forum group said, reports RTE.
The United Nations currently estimates that 70% of Gaza is either under evacuation orders or designated by Israel as no-go zones.
For several weeks, UN agencies have warned that the supply of essential items such as food, clean water, fuel, and medicine has become critically low, reports RTE.
According to the World Health Organization, Gaza’s final remaining hospital for cancer and heart patients ceased operating after an Israeli attack on Tuesday left the facility “severely damaged and inaccessible”.
Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, accused Israel of “killing what’s left of humanity”, reports RTE.
Israel maintains that its suspension of aid and military efforts are designed to pressure Hamas into freeing the remaining hostages.
Mr Naim reiterated that allowing aid into Gaza is “the minimum requirement for a conducive and constructive negotiation environment”, reports RTE.
“Access to food, water, and medicine is a fundamental human right – not a subject for negotiation,” he added, reports RTE.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-based NGO, announced it would begin distributing aid in the territory this month after holding discussions with Israeli officials.
However, the United Nations declined to be involved in the initiative as of yesterday, reports RTE.
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