As governor of New York, Kathy Hochul has been unequivocal in her support for Israel.

She has firmly rejected calls for New York State to end its financial support of Israel, supported police efforts to quell pro-Palestinian protests and cracked down on academic rhetoric she deemed antisemitic. She even caused a minor international kerfuffle when, in defending Israel’s right to defend itself, she used an analogy that seemed to call for Gaza’s destruction.

But Ms. Hochul struck a far different tone on Thursday, calling for Israeli leaders to work with the United States to ensure that humanitarian aid reached Palestinians in Gaza.

“I have always been a strong supporter of Israel,” Ms. Hochul said, noting her visit to the site of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack and continued advocacy for the release of hostages. “But support for the people of Israel also requires us to demand that the Israeli government do what is right.”

She added that “allowing innocent children to starve to death is simply unconscionable.”

The statement from Ms. Hochul, who presides over a state that has the largest population of Jews outside of Israel, comes amid a growing reassessment of the country’s conduct among its traditional supporters. Experts have warned for months of a starvation crisis, as Israeli blockades restrict the flow of food into the war zone. Israeli soldiers have repeatedly opened fire into crowds amassed to receive aid, killing dozens at a time.

The Gazan Health Ministry has reported more than 40 hunger-related deaths this month, though that number has not been independently verified. The same group has asserted that more than 60,000 Gazans have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, more than 18,000 of them children.

Human rights organizations in Israel announced last week that their government’s actions constituted genocide, a charge Israel strongly rejects.