Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen pushed back Sunday against mounting claims that humanitarian assistance intended for civilians in Gaza has been routinely intercepted by Hamas.
“There is a big lie, the claim that when the U.N. organizations were delivering food to Palestinians, civilians, that it was being systematically diverted to Hamas,” Van Hollen stated during an interview on CBS News’s Face the Nation. “I want to say loudly and clearly, this is a big lie,” he reiterated.
Van Hollen’s remarks came as questions continue to circulate about whether food and medical supplies meant for Palestinian families are actually reaching them, or instead falling into the hands of the terror group that governs Gaza.
On Sunday, President Trump addressed the issue directly while speaking with reporters in Scotland, repeating accusations that Hamas has been stealing shipments of food and aid meant for Gazan civilians.
Appearing alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnberry, Trump responded to pointed questions about images showing starving children in the region.
“When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks people are stealing the food, they’re stealing the money, they’re stealing the money for the food. They’re stealing weapons, they’re stealing everything,” Trump said.
The president described the current situation in Gaza as deeply unstable. “It’s a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza Strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didn’t work out too well,” he said.
Trump went on to say that the United States intends to continue supplying aid to Gaza and suggested international partners should shoulder part of the responsibility as well.
“It’s not a U.S. problem, it’s an international problem,” he said. “If we weren’t there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it’s not like they’re eating well, but a lot of that food is getting stolen by Hamas.”
“They’re stealing the food, they’re stealing a lot of things,” he noted. “You ship it in and they steal it, then they sell it.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson echoed Trump’s comments during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, citing staggering figures related to the amount of aid being sent into Gaza by the Israeli government.
“This is important to note: Israel, since this war began, has supplied over 94,000 truckloads full of food. It’s enough food to feed 2 million people for two years trying to get that into Gaza. But Hamas has stolen the food, a huge amount,” Johnson told viewers.
He also pointed to what he called a failure of international infrastructure to deliver aid efficiently and securely.
He revealed that starting Monday, the Israeli Defense Forces would begin utilizing “new channels of distribution to get it [food] to those people who are desperately in need.”
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He called for collaboration between humanitarian groups and Israeli authorities. “The U.N. needs to work with Israel to make sure that the food is getting to the people that need it most,” he added.
Former President Barack Obama, while refraining from weighing in on the specific allegations of theft, issued a public statement Sunday highlighting the urgency of the crisis and demanding unobstructed access for humanitarian convoys.
“While a lasting resolution to the crisis in Gaza must involve a return of all hostages and a cessation of Israel’s military operations, these articles underscore the immediate need for action to be taken to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation,” Obama posted on social media.
“There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families,” the former president stated.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took a different approach, turning his criticism toward the Trump administration’s handling of the war.
In a Friday statement, Jeffries accused the administration of failing to honor promises regarding hostages and contributing to worsening humanitarian conditions.
“During the first six months of Donald Trump’s time in office, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, hostages are still being held by Hamas despite the President’s promise they would be released and the pre-existing ceasefire the administration inherited has been breached,” Jeffries said.
“The starvation and death of Palestinian children and civilians in an ongoing war zone is unacceptable,” he added.
According to Jeffries, the White House holds the tools necessary to resolve the crisis. “The Trump administration has the ability to bring an end to this humanitarian crisis. They must act now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed growing international scrutiny over Israel’s role in facilitating humanitarian access, rejecting claims that the Jewish state has blocked aid into Gaza.
“We’ve done this so far,” Netanyahu told The Jerusalem Post. “But the U.N. is spreading lies and falsehoods about Israel. They say we don’t allow humanitarian supplies in, yet we do. There are secure corridors. They’ve always existed, but now it’s official. No more excuses.”
The prime minister reaffirmed Israel’s intention to allow limited aid into Gaza so long as it does not aid Hamas or endanger Israeli hostages.
“We’ve done this so far,” Netanyahu repeated, adding that the conditions under which the aid is delivered must remain secure.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also made headlines Sunday, suggesting that Israel may escalate its military strategy in Gaza, comparing the situation to the closing months of World War II.
“I think Israel’s come to conclude that they can’t achieve a goal of ending the war with Hamas that would be satisfactory to the safety of Israel and that they’re going to do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin, take the place by force then start over again, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully having the Arabs take over the West Bank and Gaza,” Graham said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Graham hinted that Israel is preparing for a more aggressive phase in the campaign. “But I think going forward, Kristen, you’re going to see a change in tactics, a full military effort by Israel to take Gaza down,” he said.
