'A lot of people are starving' in Gaza: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on May 16 "a lot of people are starving" in the besieged Gaza Strip, where rescuers reported more than 70 deaths in Israeli air strikes since midnight.

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GAZA CITY -

His brief comments on Gaza came as he wrapped up the first foreign tour of his second term, which saw him visit several Gulf countries but not key ally Israel.

A two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March shortly after Israel re-imposed a total blockade on Gaza that aid agencies say has sparked critical food shortages.

"We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving," Mr Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

Israel cut off aid to Gaza on March 2, a tactic it has said is intended to force concessions from militant group Hamas, which is still holding dozens of Israeli hostages it seized in October 2023.

Hamas insisted on May 15 that the restoration of humanitarian assistance to the war-ravaged territory was "the minimum requirement" for talks. It also warned that Gaza was not "for sale" hours after Mr Trump again floated taking over the territory and turning it into "a freedom zone".

On May 16, Gaza's civil defence agency said 74 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since midnight, reporting dozens more trapped under the rubble as shelling continued.

Israel's latest strikes sparked panic in northern Gaza.

"We were asleep when suddenly everything exploded around us," north Gaza resident Umm Mohammed al-Tatari, 57, told AFP.