Former President Barack Obama issued a rare public statement Sunday addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for increased aid to civilians despite the ongoing hostage crisis and conflict between Israel and Hamas, as reported by Fox News.

Referencing a New York Times article that claimed “Gazans are dying of starvation,” Obama posted on X urging immediate action.

“While a lasting resolution to the crisis in Gaza must involve a return of all hostages and a cessation of Israel’s military operations, these articles underscore the immediate need for action to be taken to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation,” he wrote.

“Aid must be permitted to reach people in Gaza. There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families,” Obama added, linking to the Times article.

President Donald Trump also addressed the issue Sunday while meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Trump said that Hamas has been intercepting humanitarian aid intended for civilians and criticized European nations for not contributing to relief efforts.

“When I see the children and when I see, especially over the last couple of weeks, people are stealing the food, they’re stealing the money, they’re stealing the money for the food. They’re stealing weapons, they’re stealing everything,” Trump said.

“It’s a mess, that whole place is a mess. The Gaza Strip, you know it was given many years ago so they could have peace. That didn’t work out too well,” he added.

He later stated: “I’m looking for getting people fed right now. That’s my number one position. You have a lot of starving people.”

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that they conducted 28 aerial aid drops on Sunday alone and facilitated the delivery of approximately 250 aid trucks throughout the week.

“Let me be clear: Israel supports aid for civilians, not for Hamas. The IDF will continue to support the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” an IDF spokesperson said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also responded to recent criticism, particularly from the United Nations. Speaking to the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel has consistently allowed humanitarian aid into Gaza, provided it does not benefit Hamas.

“We’ve done this so far,” Netanyahu told the outlet. “But the U.N. is spreading lies and falsehoods about Israel. They say we don’t allow humanitarian supplies in, yet we do. There are secure corridors. They’ve always existed, but now it’s official. No more excuses.”

The Israeli government has long stated that humanitarian assistance must be tightly controlled to prevent supplies from falling into the hands of Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization.

As tensions in the region persist, the debate over humanitarian aid continues to highlight divisions among world leaders on how best to assist civilians while preventing further empowerment of Hamas.