GAZA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump recently admitted that Gaza is experiencing "real starvation," and announced plans to set up new food distribution centers overseen by Israel in the territory.
Referring to the past chaos and killings caused by the U.S. and Israel-supported aid distribution mechanism in Gaza, Palestinian analysts and residents argued that Trump's recent change in tone is simply a political maneuver aimed at placating public opinion, and is unlikely to lead to a real change in U.S. policy regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
"The U.S. acknowledgment of starvation carries legal and moral weight, but remains symbolic unless translated into meaningful policy change," Hussam al-Dajani, a Gaza-based political analyst, told Xinhua.
"When the most powerful country in the world acknowledges starvation somewhere, this carries obligations. But instead of leading to protective action, it has resulted in reinforcing the mechanisms of suffering by assigning aid oversight to Israel," he said.
"This approach does not serve the interests of the civilian population but perpetuates their vulnerability," he added.
Al-Dajani explained that the aid model now being proposed by the United States risks turning humanitarian assistance into a political tool, rather than a means of relief.
"We are seeing an aid system designed not to save lives, but to manage and control populations under siege," he said.
Esmat Mansour, a Ramallah-based political analyst, shared similar concerns. He described the U.S. initiative as legitimizing an "aid regime" that is closely tied to military structures and security agendas.
"Israel does not deliver aid. It manages access to aid in ways that serve its broader strategic goals," Mansour told Xinhua.
"The United States has chosen to reinforce that framework instead of proposing an independent humanitarian mechanism, further blurring the line between relief and control," he said.
According to Mansour, Gaza's humanitarian crisis is not only the result of war, but also of a carefully engineered system of deprivation.
"The goal appears to be to keep the population in a constant state of need and exhaustion," he said. "The starvation is being used as a soft pressure mechanism, and the United States is complicit by supporting the very structures that produce it."
Hani al-Masri, a Ramallah-based analyst, told Xinhua, "The U.S. announcement was likely a response to mounting international pressure and global media coverage, rather than a substantive policy pivot."
"This acknowledgment does not come from a place of humanitarian concern, but rather from the need to manage reputational damage," al-Masri said.
He warned that empowering Israel to distribute aid as its military operations continue could pave the way for "a reinforced occupation model."
"Providing food under fire, with no ceasefire in place, undermines any credibility the United States claims in humanitarian leadership," al-Masri said.
Since March 2, a renewed Israeli blockade has closed all Gaza crossings, halting the delivery of food, fuel, and medicine into the enclave. Ceasefire talks have stalled, with some critics pointing to unwavering U.S. support for Israel as a key roadblock.
Claiming to help alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian situation for Palestinians in Gaza, the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation established two food distribution centers in late May. Subsequently, it opened two additional centers in central and northern Gaza.
However, residents said these food distribution centers haven't truly improved their lives or stopped them from going hungry.
Gaza-based health authorities said Wednesday that a total of 154 people, including 89 children, have died from starvation and malnutrition.
Khaled al-Za'noun, a Palestinian man from al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, told Xinhua that, "Every time we hear that an American food center has opened ... we rush there, wait for hours, and usually return with nothing."
"Four weeks ago, my cousin was shot trying to grab a bag of flour. We couldn't save him. We ran for our lives," he said, dismissing the centers as chaotic and unsafe.
In central Gaza's Maghazi refugee camp, 40-year-old widow Om Sami al-Sheikh waited for six hours outside a food distribution center. "I came back with nothing."
Her 11-month-old baby, visibly malnourished, lay beside her as she spoke.
"The United States says it cares, but it funds this suffering and sends food through centers that humiliate us," she lamented. "If they really wanted to help, we wouldn't be starving like this. They are not just bystanders; they're part of what's killing us."■
