U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a full Israeli reoccupation of Gaza would be “up to Israel,” stopping short of supporting the move.

“As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say. That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump said he was focused on humanitarian aid. He noted that the U.S. has provided $60 million in food assistance for people in Gaza.

“I know Israel is going to help us with that in terms of distribution,” he said. “We also have Arab states [that] are going to help us out with that, in terms of money and possible distribution. So that’s what I’m focused on.”

At a State Department briefing, spokesperson Tammy Bruce also declined to endorse an Israeli reoccupation. She instead emphasized ongoing U.S. priorities.

“We remain focused on freeing the hostages, including the remains of two Americans, and ensuring that Hamas never rules Gaza again,” she said, according to Israeli media.

The comments came after Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip,” citing a senior official on Monday.

A security cabinet meeting was reportedly scheduled for Tuesday to discuss next steps. However, some Israeli military officials are said to oppose the plan.

Meanwhile, international pressure is mounting on Israel to address Gaza’s humanitarian crisis — particularly reports of widespread starvation, which Netanyahu has denied.

Since the war began in October 2023, more than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

At least 193 Palestinians, including 96 children, have died from starvation, the ministry said. It reported 88 such deaths in July alone.

Videos from Gaza show emaciated civilians and skeletal bodies. Some footage includes babies as young as 6 months old who died from hunger.

Health officials said many mothers cannot breastfeed due to malnutrition, causing infants to die weighing less than they were at birth.

Last month, Trump acknowledged the reports, saying that “You can’t fake,” videos of starving children.