U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged widespread hunger in the Gaza Strip on Monday, directly contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in the territory.

“Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,” Trump said when asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s dismissal of starvation in the Palestinian enclave.

Trump made the remarks during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also voiced concern over the humanitarian situation.

Trump said he wants Netanyahu to “make sure [the Palestinians] get the food, every ounce of food,” and announced plans to “set up food centers where the people can walk in with no boundaries.”

The U.S.-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization backed by Israel, has been coordinating aid distribution across Gaza since March. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid, mostly near GHF sites. It remains unclear whether Trump’s proposed “food centers” would operate under a different entity, despite the U.N. calling for its dismantlement.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported 147 starvation-related deaths since the war began in October 2023, including at least 88 children. Nearly half of those deaths occurred in July.

Hours prior to Trump's remarks, Netanyahu, speaking at an event in Jerusalem, categorically denied the existence of famine in Gaza. He called it a “bold-faced lie," insisting, “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza.”

The rift between Trump and Netanyahu appeared to widen, as Trump said, “I mean some of those kids. That’s real starvation. I see it and you can’t fake it.”

Under mounting international pressure to avert famine, Israel announced a “tactical pause” on Saturday, implementing 10-hour daily cease-fires in three areas of Gaza for one week to allow aid trucks and air drops.

The U.N.’s main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called the air drops a “distraction.”

Khalid Alsadek contributed to the reporting of this story