US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (August 14) that he wants Israel to allow foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip to report on the situation of humanitarian aid that the US is pursuing. During a press conference in the Oval Office, reporters asked him whether he would “pressure Israel to allow journalists into Gaza to cover the humanitarian efforts that the US is pursuing.”

“I’d like to see that happen,” Trump said.

It was unclear when the reporter asked this question, what US-led humanitarian efforts they were referring to. Because the US has only indicated that it supports expanding the work of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

“I’d be very fine with journalists going in. It’s a very dangerous position to be in if you’re a journalist, but I would like to see it,” Trump added in his response.

This came after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would allow more journalists into Gaza, but he appeared to simply be referring to an expansion of those military escorts through which reporters are not able to freely and independently operate.

Trump YELLED at Netanyahu over Gaza starvation on a call?

A report came on Thursday (August 7) claiming that the American president shouted at Netanyahu for his stance on the aid to the strip. NBC News cited senior US officials saying that during the call, which was made on July 28, as claimed by Netanyahu, the Israeli PM denied that there was any starvation in Gaza. This was despite multiple reports of children dying in the strip due to hunger. After this claim, Trump publicly responded the next day that he was “not particularly convinced” by Netanyahu’s assurance, saying there was “real starvation” in the Strip and adding: “You can’t fake that.”

Following this, the Israeli PM requested a phone call with Trump, where he told the American president that the reports of starvation in Gaza had been “fabricated” by Hamas and that hunger was not widespread in the enclave. In response, Trump began yelling at his ally, saying that his aides had shown him proof that children in Gaza were starving and that he didn’t want to hear it dismissed as “fake.”

Following this, the Israeli PM requested a phone call with Trump, where he told the American president that the reports of starvation in Gaza had been “fabricated” by Hamas and that hunger was not widespread in the enclave. In response, Trump began yelling at his ally, saying that his aides had shown him proof that children in Gaza were starving and that he didn’t want to hear it dismissed as “fake.”