US special envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, arrived on Friday at an aid center operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation north of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Hamas has denounced the visit as a “propaganda stunt”
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump acknowledged Thursday the extreme hunger being experienced by Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing restrictions on the delivery of direly-needed humanitarian assistance.
“It’s terrible, what’s occurring there. Yeah, it’s a terrible thing. People are very hungry,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It’s a terrible situation.”
His comment came one day before Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee were scheduled to visit Gaza to inspect Israeli-run food distribution sites, according to the White House.
“They will be travelling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt did not specify which “local Gazans” the officials would be meeting with ahead of the visit.
According to the UN, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed at aid distribution cites run by the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since May.
The trip follows what Leavitt described as a “very productive” meeting between Witkoff, Huckabee and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in Israel.
“The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution in the region,” she said.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived Friday at an aid center operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation north of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.
According to Israel’s Channel 12 and public broadcaster KAN, Witkoff’s convoy entered the area in the morning and toured the site, which has been at the center of controversy over its role in the delivery and obstruction of aid, as well as the deaths of hundreds of Gazans seeking relief.
The visit comes amid mounting criticism of US-Israeli coordination in Gaza, particularly regarding the group’s distribution model, which Palestinians say serves as a tool for displacement under the guise of humanitarian relief as well as a “death trap” for many Palestinian aid seekers, with over 1,300 killed since May while waiting for relief supplies.
Palestinian officials say the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation mechanism, active since May 27 with Israeli backing, has resulted in deadly ambushes at food lines, with at least 1,330 killed and over 8,800 injured due to Israeli fire during aid distributions.
Hamas on Thursday denounced the visit as a “propaganda stunt” aimed at deflecting global outrage over what rights groups and UN officials have described as Israel’s systematic starvation campaign.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, at least 154 Palestinians, including 89 children, have died of hunger-related causes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip for 18 years and, since March 2, has shut down all crossings, preventing humanitarian aid convoys from entering the enclave despite growing international pressure.– AA
