‘A lot of people are starving in Gaza’: Trump diverges from Israel, says also didn’t consult it on Syria | World News
US President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States must support Palestinians in Gaza, where “a lot of people are starving,” and added that he expects “a lot of good things” to happen in the coming month.
“We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving,” the US president told reporters during the final leg of his Gulf tour.
When asked about Israeli plans to expand military operations in Gaza, Trump said: “I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month, and we’re going to see. We have to also help out the Palestinians. You know, a lot of people are starving in Gaza, so we have to look at both sides.”
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Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters as Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday killed at least 64 people, hospitals said. Earlier, Gaza’s civil defence agency put the death toll at 50, but survivors had also said that many people were still under the rubble, as per news agency AP.
Palestinians look at smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike near Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
At least 48 bodies were brought to the Indonesian hospital and another 16 bodies were taken to Nasser hospital, health officials said, as strikes overnight into Friday morning hit the outskirts of Deir al-Balah and the city of Khan Younis.
Separately, Trump acknowledged he did not consult Israel before deciding to recognise Syria’s new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a move that has raised eyebrows among allies. “I didn’t ask them about that. I thought it was the right thing to do. I’ve been given a lot of credit for doing it. Look, we want Syria to succeed,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after departing Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported.
Earlier in the week, Trump said he would lift US sanctions on Syria—a dramatic policy shift—as he prepares to meet President Sharaa.Story continues below this ad
In this photo released the Saudi Royal Palace, President Donald Trump, centre, meets with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, left, and with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)
Trump on Wednesday also met Sharaa, former leader of a rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was an offshoot of al-Qaeda and designated as a terror organisation the American government. The meeting was held in Riyadh at the request of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after President Trump lifted sanctions against Syria, which the US began imposing in 1979.
After the meeting, Trump said that al-Sharaa has a “real shot at doing a good job” with war-torn Syria. He also called the former designated terror a “young, attractive, tough guy” with a “very strong” past.
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