WASHINGTON — As the Trump administration’s efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip stall, the World Food Program warned Friday that nearly a third of people in Gaza had not eaten in days amid "new and astonishing levels of desperation."

The United States joined Israel on Thursday in withdrawing its negotiators from ceasefire talks taking place in Doha, blaming Hamas for failing to act in good faith. President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington on Friday that Hamas “didn’t want to make a deal” to halt the war and release hostages. 

“I think what's going to happen is they [Hamas] are going to be hunted down,” Trump said before departing for Scotland. “Now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages. And basically, because of that, they really didn’t want to make a deal.” 

The uncertainty over a deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group comes as the humanitarian emergency is rapidly worsening, with nearly a third of the territory’s population struggling with food insecurity, according to the United Nations World Food Program. On Thursday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, said one in five children in Gaza City is malnourished.