US President Donald Trump confirmed on Friday the existence of a famine in the Gaza Strip, saying that "many people there are starving," and pledged that his country would pay special attention to this humanitarian situation.

This comes as Israel continues to impose a stifling blockade on Gaza for more than two months, plunging the territory into a state of famine, according to the government media office in Gaza.

"We have to take care of Gaza," Trump told reporters in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the UAE-US Business Dialogue. "Many people there are starving."

He added, "We are following the situation in Gaza. We have to care about this. Many people are starving there, and many bad things are happening."

In a significant escalation compared to previous positions, Western condemnations of Israeli practices in the Gaza Strip and the crippling blockade imposed on it have recently intensified. French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the Israelis' prevention of the entry of aid, which had been piling up in the Strip and had been sent by his country and other countries.

In a lengthy interview with the French channel TF1 last Tuesday, he said that the Gaza Strip is experiencing the "most serious" humanitarian crisis since October 7, 2023.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also described Israel as a "genocidal state" on Wednesday.

Trump also addressed the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine, saying he would meet with Putin to end the war between Moscow and Kyiv "as quickly as possible, and it's time to do that."