US President Donald Trump watched footage of starving children in Gaza before departing for Scotland earlier this week, and he told his aides he wished to discuss what he saw with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two White House officials told CNN on Thursday.
"It had already been on his mind before he left," one of the officials said. They added that Trump was deeply disturbed by what he saw, CNN noted.
Seeing the suffering of children captured in photos motivated Trump to boost US aid efforts, the officials added.
First Lady Melania Trump was also particularly affected by the images and played a "key role" in Trump's rhetoric shift, the officials stated.
Trump on Monday said he disagreed with Netanyahu, "that there is no hunger in Gaza because they look very hungry."
Trump, speaking to reporters at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, as he welcomed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said people in Gaza needed to get food and safety right now, and he would discuss the situation with Starmer.
"There are people who are hungry in Gaza - we are helping them, but other countries need to help as well," he continued.
Additionally, on Thursday, Trump stated that "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" in a post on Truth Social.
Republicans split on issue of humanitarian aid into Gaza
Several Republican lawmakers are split on the issue of the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza in recent days, after Trump said on Monday that many people were starving in Gaza and suggested Israel could do more on humanitarian access.
Israeli officials faced growing pressure from key allies in Washington over the past few days to allow more humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip, two sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Members of the US Congress and Senate, described by Israeli sources as “close allies,” recently urged senior officials in Jerusalem to facilitate the entry of aid. “Help us help you,” they reportedly said. “We don’t believe the claims of widespread famine in Gaza, but you must take concrete steps to allow aid in.”
Amichai Stein and Reuters contributed to this report. This is a developing story.