President Donald Trump is reportedly growing increasingly impatient with the prolonged conflict in Gaza, viewing it as the final barrier to unlocking economic growth and regional stability in the Middle East. A report on Tuesday, citing White House sources and published by Axios, said Trump wants Israeli leadership to bring the war to a close.
In recent days, the report says Trump has urged Israel to allow humanitarian assistance into Gaza after a complete halt in aid deliveries that began in early March. The push for aid access comes amid Trump’s rising concerns over the human toll of the war.
According to the Axios report, a senior White House official revealed that Trump was “upset” by harrowing footage showing Palestinian children and infants suffering under bombardment and siege. The official said, “he pressed the Israelis to reopen the gates.”
Under international pressure — including from Washington — Israel permitted a small shipment of five trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza on Monday. This marked the first delivery in nearly three months, following repeated warnings from Israeli military officials about a deepening food crisis in the Strip.
Since March 1, Israel has maintained a strict blockade on aid entering Gaza, asserting that adequate assistance was previously delivered during a ceasefire and accusing Hamas of diverting supplies for its fighters. Israeli officials argue the restriction is necessary to pressure Hamas into freeing the dozens of hostages still held in captivity.
On Tuesday, the United Nations confirmed that Israel approved the entry of an additional 100 trucks. However, UN personnel cautioned that this is insufficient, given the scale of the humanitarian emergency, and emphasized that far more aid is urgently needed.
A White House official, quoted in the report, laid out Trump’s position clearly: “The president is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza.”
That same official added, “The president sees a real chance for peace and prosperity in the region, but the war in Gaza is the last hot spot and he wants it to end.”
Another official speaking to Axios confirmed there is “a lot of frustration by this crisis getting dragged on.” The source also linked that sentiment to the recent backchannel efforts that secured the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity.
Despite the pressure campaign, an Israeli official told Axios that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not feel particularly pressed by Trump to alter course.
“If the president wants a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza he needs to put much more pressure on both sides,” the Israeli official said.
The White House emphasized that Trump is pushing for a swift end to the conflict, though it denied speculation that the U.S. was threatening to pull back support for Israel if the war continues.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated: “The president is moving as quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to end these conflicts in both Israel and Gaza and also the Russia-Ukraine war.” She added, “The president made it very clear to Hamas that he wanted to see all hostages released.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 hostages who were taken back to Gaza.
At present, 58 hostages are believed to still be held in Gaza, with Israeli officials estimating that at least 35 of them have already died in captivity.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry claims that more than 53,000 people have been killed or are presumed dead as a result of the war. This number includes those killed in the latest wave of airstrikes launched since Friday. The figures have not been independently verified and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

{Matzav.com}