Washington, D.C. — In a compelling opinion piece published on The Guardian, Middle East expert Mohamad Bazzi condemns former President Donald Trump for failing to use his influence to halt a “man-made famine” unfolding in Gaza. Instead, Bazzi argues, Trump is repeating the mistakes of his predecessor, President Joe Biden—choosing to uphold U.S. support for Israel rather than advocate for emergency humanitarian action.
Last week, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)—a coalition including the UN World Food Programme and WHO—declared famine conditions in Gaza City, marking a critical humanitarian threshold: over 20% of households suffer extreme food shortages, at least 30% of children face acute malnutrition, and starvation-related mortality is rising at alarming rates
Despite these dire circumstances, Bazzi highlights that Trump, like Biden before him, has remained silent and passive. Both administrations failed to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift the blockade or allow sufficient aid to enter Gaza—effectively enabling the famine.
Bazzi writes: “Donald Trump can stop this famine—the U.S. is Israel’s largest weapons supplier and most important political supporter. But he has chosen not to.”
Previously, Bazzi criticized Biden for similar inaction. In a recent commentary, he accused Biden of being complicit in Gaza’s starvation by continuing to supply military aid to Israel even while obstructing humanitarian access. He highlighted the possibility that Biden’s administration actively delayed famine detection and responses
The piece serves as a stark reminder that both recent U.S. administrations bear responsibility for the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza—whether through silence, military support, or failure to enforce leverage. As the famine grips Gaza deeper, international pressure on U.S. leadership to act grows more urgent.