Republicans divided over Gaza hunger crisis as Trump says he will push for aid

The opinions within the Republican Party are divided after US President Donald Trump's call for increased aid to Gaza amid widespread child starvation.

One of Trump's closest allies in Congress, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a strong supporter of the "America First" agenda, has described the situation in Gaza as a "genocide," NBC reported on Tuesday.

She also publicly criticized fellow Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida for saying that Gazans should "starve away" until the hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas are released.

Greene, who spearheaded a 2023 resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for tweets criticizing the Israeli government and supporting Palestinians, represents a small but increasing faction of congressional Republicans expressing outrage over the starvation in Gaza.

When asked by NBC regarding Trump's statements on Gaza and calls for food centers, Senate Majority Leader John Thune responded: "I think that I share the president's view."

"I think all of us want to see, obviously, a peaceful solution there that gets the hostages freed and ends the reign and rule of Hamas in the region.

"But in the meantime, do everything we can to ease the pain and the hunger that's afflicting so many of the people in that region," Thune said during his weekly press conference.

Other Republicans disagreed with Greene, suggesting that any additional aid, if provided, should be contingent on the release of hostages.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stated that he does not believe there is a genocide in Gaza and opposed Congress doing more to provide relief.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said the issue is "between the other governments" to settle and expressed that Congress should not offer additional aid.

"If they would let the hostages go, they'd get a lot more food," noted Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.

Meanwhile, Democrats are largely united in expressing concern over the escalating crisis in Gaza. On Tuesday, 40 of them sent a letter to the Trump administration urging a significant increase in humanitarian aid.

Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who helped lead the effort, emphasized that while they want the hostages to be freed, the US must also address the ongoing suffering in Gaza in the meantime.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.