International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more aid into the Gaza Strip.

The deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023 remains a vivid, salient event for many Israelis. But for others around the world, the devastation and hunger in Gaza have become more visible and urgent.

But by Thursday, Trump was back in a familiar role—not only defending Israel but explicitly linking his economic policies to continued support for it. “Wow!,” Trump posted on his social-media site, “Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the disintegrating humanitarian situation in Gaza, as the U.S. imposed new sanctions on officials from the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.