SAEDNEWS : A senior Hamas official has condemned US President Donald Trump's remarks about the absence of famine in Gaza.
Izzat al-Rishq stated on Sunday evening that Trump's denial of famine in Gaza is a blatant repetition of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's narrative and lies.
"We are surprised by the statements issued by President Trump, which contradict the mediators' assessment of the movement's position and are inconsistent with the negotiations process," Izzat al-Rishq said in a press statement.
Al-Rishq condemned Trump's assertions, emphasizing that they "deny the famine despite the testimony of the United Nations and international organizations, and the deaths of dozens of children from starvation due to the siege and the prevention of food and medicine entry."
He further claimed that Trump's statements inadvertently give the Israeli regime additional justification to pursue its alleged campaign of extermination and starvation against the Palestinian population.
"We call on the US administration to stop exonerating the occupation and providing it with cover to continue its war of extermination and starvation against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip," he added.
Additionally, al-Rishq rejected US claims that Hamas is misappropriating humanitarian aid, labeling them as unfounded and lacking credible evidence.
He said Israel is inciting chaos in Gaza by intentionally targeting police officers who are tasked with protecting aid convoys.
Al-Rishq called on the US government to refrain from perpetuating Israeli narratives and to accept its moral and humanitarian responsibilities concerning the alleged genocide occurring in Gaza.
On Friday, Trump attributed the stalling of negotiations to Hamas, stating, “Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die.”
The Government Media Office of Gaza has issued warnings about an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, noting that over 100,000 children, including 40,000 infants, are at risk of life-threatening hunger due to the blockade.
The death toll related to starvation and malnutrition has reached 122, with 83 of those being children, and it is expected to rise sharply as the blockade continues. Meanwhile, United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations have sounded alarms over dwindling supplies of therapeutic food for malnourished children, endangering thousands of vulnerable lives.
The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO) has declared that Gaza is amid a full-scale famine, with 91% of the population grappling with severe food insecurity amid Israel’s prolonged and destructive military campaign against Palestinians.
Israel is accused of deliberately starving two million people by bombing bakeries, obstructing food supplies, and cutting off water access. PNGO stated, “This is not merely a crisis; it’s genocide.”
According to PNGO reports, 91% of Gaza’s population faces critical food insecurity, with 345,000 individuals experiencing Phase 5 famine—the most severe level. An alarming 60,000 children urgently require treatment for malnutrition, and 92% of children under two years old, along with breastfeeding mothers, are not receiving adequate nutrition, which could cause irreversible damage to an entire generation.
“This is not a natural catastrophe; it’s a deliberate policy of starvation,” PNGO concluded.
The Israeli regime's genocidal war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed at least 59,733 Palestinians, injured another 144,477 individuals, and displaced almost 2.2 million people.
Israel's blockade of free movement has led to dire shortages of food, clean water, and medical resources.
