WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden announced on Friday that the United States will cut food aid to the Gaza Strip, saying humanitarian aid to the region is not enough for the Palestinians.
“The aid flowing into Gaza is not nearly enough…lives are at stake,” Biden said during an Oval Office meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announcing his decision on the airstrikes.
“We need to buy hundreds of trucks, not just a few,” he said. “We’re going to pull out every stop we can.”
The president reiterated that the United States is urgently trying to push Ceasefire between Hamas and Israel Allowing more aid to Gaza, where “innocent people” are dying.
Later on Friday, the president answered a reporter’s question about when the first airdrops would happen: “I’m not positive. I think very soon.” Shortly after, Biden hinted at a possible cease-fire deal, saying he was “still hoping for it.”
“It’s not over until it’s over,” he said.
Biden was on Thursday stepped back said he hoped the ceasefire agreement would be finalized by Monday.
The White House is raising concerns about possible shortages for a significant portion of Gaza’s population.
Samantha Power, Administrator, USAID, announced this week The United States is sending an additional $53 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
“He is working on expanding the channels and corridors through which aid can pass. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said Thursday that we will continue to do so. “This morning’s events have highlighted just how deep and dire the humanitarian needs among civilians in Gaza are right now.”
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said in a Telegram statement on Friday that 115 people were killed and 760 injured in a stampede in Gaza on Thursday as they waited for humanitarian aid vehicles. Palestinian officials claimed that Israeli soldiers fired at civilians.
NBC News has not independently confirmed the death toll. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. An Israeli government source said IDF soldiers responded with “live fire” after people surrounded trucks carrying humanitarian aid.
This was reported by the Israel Defense Forces Writing in X On Thursday, “This morning humanitarian aid vehicles entered northern Gaza, residents surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered. “Dozens of Gazans died and were injured as a result of being pushed, trampled and overturned by trucks.”
Allie Raffa, Gael Fobes, Tara Prindiville and Megan Lebowitz contributed.