4:20Palestinians assemble to obtain food from a charitable kitchen, amidst a hunger emergency, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, July 20, 2025. Ramadan Abed/Reuters
Following the White House’s announcement on Monday that President Donald Trump will introduce a "new aid initiative" for Gaza, officials on Tuesday were unable to provide specifics on how the U.S. plans to collaborate with European and Arab partners to facilitate aid delivery into the enclave during "tactical pauses" in the ongoing conflict.
In recent days, Trump has consistently stated that the U.S. has allocated $60 million for assistance.
"That's a substantial sum for food, a significant amount that can support people for an extended period," he remarked to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday while returning from Scotland. "And we want to ensure that it's being used correctly. Part of the expenditure involves distribution."
The alarming humanitarian crisis has resulted in increased fatalities due to malnutrition and has sparked international outrage concerning the limited assistance provided.
"This is not about what has failed to work," stated State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, attributing the hunger crisis to Hamas’ "stubbornness and refusal to disarm, [and its] inability to release the hostages."
Palestinians assemble to obtain food from a charitable kitchen, amidst a hunger emergency, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, July 20, 2025.Ramadan Abed/Reuters
"There has always needed to be more. The appeals from the president, from Secretary [Marco Rubio], and even [Gaza Humanitarian Foundation] have been [to] encourage more to join us," she expressed.
Bruce mentioned that "more positive updates" regarding aid would be announced after the president’s return from his visit to the United Kingdom, where he conferred with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, but she refrained from anticipating any announcements ahead of the president.
Aid distribution in Gaza is overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S. contractor supported by a $30 million donation from the U.S. Various organizations, including the U.N., Amnesty International, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have indicated that GHF lacks the capacity to meet Gaza’s immense requirements.
Israel and the Trump administration have accused Hamas of misappropriating aid supplied by the U.N. and others to finance its militant operations, allegations that Hamas disputes.
On Monday, Trump proposed the idea of establishing "food centers" and has consistently asserted that the U.S. provided $60 million in aid to Gaza. Bruce clarified that she was only aware of the $30 million announced by the State Department, but warned that this might not reflect the "complete picture."
GHF did not respond to inquiries from ABC News regarding the $30 million inconsistency or the proposed "food centers" after Trump expressed concern that lines for emergency assistance in Gaza — managed by GHF — have resulted in fatalities among some Gazans at those locations.
The United Nations has reported that over 1,000 individuals have perished in recent weeks at food aid distribution sites, the majority of which are operated by GHF. Bruce declined to comment on the U.N.’s evaluation on Tuesday, and Israel has stated that casualty figures at aid locations were incorrect.
Trump’s hinting at a new initiative coincides with European nations, including the United Kingdom and France, participating in an airdrop operation alongside Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S., which coordinated with Amman on airdrops from Jordanian planes in 2024, is not involved in this operation.
On Monday, Trump stated that the U.S. was "going to do more" in Gaza, recognizing the starvation that has affected the enclave. However, the U.S. has not made any new aid pledges during the periods of respite introduced by Israel.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
