Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro joins national calls for aid in Gaza, says Netanyahu is 'just wrong' about starvation

Aliya Schneider, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Aug 5, 2025

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Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday called for the United States to “dramatically increase” aid to Gaza as he joins a national conversation about the deepening humanitarian crisis there as the death toll of Palestinians waiting for food and other aid grows.

“I think it is fair to say that I’m both praying for the return of the hostages and praying to make sure that these kids get fed in Gaza,” Shapiro said. “The fact that kids are starving in Gaza is not OK.”

He said the United States “has a moral responsibility to flood the zone with aid and make sure those children that need to be fed get the food and the nourishment and the medicines that they need to be able to survive this” through a safe distribution plan.

Shapiro has been open about his support for Israel’s existence as a Jewish state as well as his opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition government. Among other criticism, Shapiro has called Netanyahu a “failed leader,” who took Israel in a “very dangerous direction” by embracing right-wing politics before the Oct. 7 attack.

The Pennsylvania governor and potential 2028 Democratic Party presidential candidate has repeatedly said he believes in a two-state solution that allows Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace, though he faced pushback from progressive advocates for not calling for a ceasefire in the fallout of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and for his opposition to pro-Palestinian encampments on university campuses.

The governor spoke at length when asked about Gaza by The Inquirer after an unrelated news conference on Tuesday. His remarks in support of aid for Gaza align with shifting public discourse that has become more sympathetic to Palestinians.

The United Nations reported on July 29 that there is “mounting evidence that ‘widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease’ are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths” in Gaza.

“I think everyone has a moral responsibility to figure out how to feed these kids,” Shapiro said Tuesday.

Elected officials who have long been vocally supportive of Israel in its war against Hamas have taken a harsher tone toward the country in recent weeks, including President Donald Trump, who recently acknowledged the starvation in Gaza and urged Netanyahu to ensure that people in Gaza get food.

The shift comes as a recent Gallup poll shows a 10 percentage point decline in Americans’ approval of Israel’s war in Gaza to 32%, the lowest it has been since the poll began in November 2023.

On Tuesday, Shapiro first called on Hamas to immediately return the nearly 50 hostages still in captivity before quickly pivoting his remarks to children in Gaza.

The governor said, “It is true that Hamas intercepts aid” and that the aid network “is not as sophisticated as it needs to be.” Recent reports citing Israeli officials say there’s no proof that Hamas routinely stole United Nations aid, but evidence does show that the militant group stole aid from smaller organizations.

Shapiro denounced Netanyahu’s recent assertion that there is no starvation in Gaza as “just wrong.” The governor also echoed his past criticism of Trump’s idea to drive out Palestinians to create a “Riviera” in Gaza that the president suggested earlier this year.

“It is awful what is happening in Gaza, and we all have a responsibility to be there for those children,” he said.

“The rhetoric coming from Prime Minister Netanyahu only creates less stability and security for Israel, who is a critical ally of the United States, whose democracy is important, that it be present and flourish in the Middle East,” he added. “I think we have a national security interest in that.”

Shapiro, one of the most prominent Jewish politicians in the country, and the third Jewish governor in commonwealth history, has embraced his faith as a way of connecting with others.

His support for Israel was scrutinized while he was under consideration to be former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 running mate, which brought allegations of antisemitism since his views largely aligned with Harris and other contenders for the spot.

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