US President Donald Trump engaged in a heated exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Mr Netanyahu denied that images of starving children in Gaza were real, according to NBC News. The private phone conversation, which reportedly took place on July 28, devolved into the two leaders shouting at each other.
The tense discussion came amid US concerns about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a relief effort backed by the US and Israel. On July 27, Mr Netanyahu claimed at an event in Jerusalem that there was no starvation in Gaza, a statement Mr Trump refuted the following day during a trip to Scotland, saying he had seen pictures of children who looked very hungry and that there was “real starvation”.
During the subsequent call, Mr Netanyahu argued that Hamas had fabricated the starvation, prompting Mr Trump to interrupt and shout that he did not want to hear such assertions, as his staff had shown him evidence of starving children. The prime minister's office denied the report, calling it “total fake news”, while a White House spokesperson said Mr Trump was focused on returning hostages and getting food to people in Gaza.
A former US official briefed on the call described it as a “direct, mostly one-way conversation about the status of humanitarian aid”, with Mr Trump doing most of the talking. The exchange led to special envoy Steve Witkoff travelling to the region to find a unified way forward. Meanwhile, the UN has boycotted the GHF, which has faced criticism after more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food distribution sites.
