Trump blames Hamas for prolonging the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

President Trump on Thursday called for Hamas to end the crisis in Gaza by surrendering and releasing its Israeli hostages.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been escalating, with Israel and the terrorist group Hamas blaming each other for shortages of food and other necessities.

“The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!” Mr. Trump wrote on social media.

Also on Thursday, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Mike Huckabee, ambassador to Israel, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push for more aid to Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said later Thursday that it was a very productive meeting with Mr. Netanyahu about bringing aid to Gaza.

“President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart, and that’s why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis,” Ms. Leavitt said.

Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Huckabee will be traveling to Gaza on Friday to see the distribution sites and create a plan to deliver more food to the area, Ms. Leavitt said. They will also talk to local Gazans to hear about the “dire situation.”

She said the plan will be shared once it’s finalized.

Mr. Netanyahu said earlier this week that there was no starvation in Gaza, a claim Mr. Trump said he disagreed with.

Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ended last week, and Mr. Witkoff brought his team home after they decided the discussions were getting nowhere.

Reuters reported that Israel on Wednesday sent back a response to Hamas over its latest amendments to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire deal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel has said it may annex parts of Gaza if no truce is reached.

Amid the crisis in Gaza, several countries, including Canada, France and the U.K., announced they will be joining other countries that have acknowledged a Palestinian state.