Trump Says Israel Free to Decide on Full Gaza Takeover, Focuses on ‘Getting People Fed’

US President Donald Trump has signaled he won’t oppose potential plans by Israel to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, telling reporters on Tuesday that the decision is “pretty much up to Israel.”

Trump’s comments came amid reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a complete military takeover of Gaza, where more than 2 million Palestinians are already enduring a devastating war, mass displacement, and growing famine.

Speaking to reporters, Trump emphasized food aid as his main priority.

“As far as the rest of it, I really can’t say,” he said. “That’s going to be pretty much up to Israel.”

The US, which provides billions in annual military aid to Israel, has ramped up assistance since the start of the war in October 2023. That support has come under increased scrutiny as humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate.

Israeli forces have declared 86 percent of Gaza a closed military zone, pushing Palestinians into shrinking, overcrowded areas. Aid groups warn that a further ground invasion into the last pockets of the enclave would have catastrophic consequences for civilians already facing starvation and near-constant bombardment.

Israel’s campaign has also put the lives of Israeli hostages in Gaza at risk. Several are believed to still be held by Hamas and other Palestinian groups, though Israel’s military operations continue to expand.

Top UN official Miroslav Jenca addressed the situation at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, warning that a full occupation of Gaza would bring “catastrophic consequences.”

“International law is clear in this regard,” Jenca said. “Gaza is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state.”

Although Israel withdrew troops and settlements from Gaza in 2005, it has continued to control the enclave’s borders, airspace, and access to the sea. Many legal experts and rights organizations say that amounts to ongoing occupation.

Since the war began, right-wing Israeli officials have increasingly called for a permanent military presence and a return to settlements inside Gaza — a move critics say would violate international law and escalate the crisis even further.

Netanyahu has also floated the idea of removing Gaza’s entire Palestinian population — a plan that human rights groups describe as ethnic cleansing. Trump echoed that idea earlier this year, suggesting that Gaza could be emptied and transformed into a “riviera of the Middle East.”

Reports of Israel’s intention to push further into Gaza come as hunger spreads rapidly across the territory. Israel has blocked most humanitarian aid since March, forcing desperate Palestinians to rely almost entirely on a limited number of US-backed food distribution sites.

International pressure on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza continues to mount. So far, however, there has been little movement on the ground.

Despite the worsening crisis, Trump has offered no clear stance on how far he believes Israel should go in Gaza — beyond saying he wants people fed.