US President Donald J. Trump's acknowledgement of Israel's throttling of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza is more than a rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's denials of starvation in the Strip. It also signals the president's temporary retreat from grandiose visions of reshaping the Middle East.

Mr. Trump’s switching of gears to focus on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis was likely prompted by images of Palestinians, particularly babies and children, emaciated by Israel’s refusal to allow the unfettered flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip.

Even so, the president’s focus also serves to entrench Israeli control and stymie a brewing generational revolt in his support base and the recognition of Palestine as a state by key US allies, including France, Britain, and Canada.