Trump Envoy Witkoff Is Set to Visit Gaza as Aid Crisis Deepens – The New York Times
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday. The visit comes amid international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. Human Rights Watch called the current setup “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system” Israel blamed Hamas for sabotaging the aid system but said it was working to make the routes safer for those traveling to aid sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fire warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.“We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,” a tribesman says. “Our children are hungry in the streets,’” he adds. ‘We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly loaded everything from the backs of our trucks,‘ he says.
With food scarce and parcels being airdropped, Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Chapin Fay, the group’s spokesperson, said the visit reflected Trump’s understanding of the stakes and that “feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority.”
All four of the group’s sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and have become flashpoints of desperation during their months of operation, with starving people scrambling for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling.
The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.
Witkoff’s visit comes a week after US officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Witkoff was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries, while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages.
Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said they have received the bodies of 25 people, including 13 who were killed while trying to get aid, including near the site that US officials visited. GHF denied anyone was killed at their sites on Friday and said most recent incidents had taken place near United Nations aid convoys.
The remaining 12 were killed in airstrikes, the officials said. Israel’s military did not immediately comment.
Human Rights Watch: ‘Near impossible’
International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.”
Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is hoarded and later sold at exorbitant prices.
At a Friday press conference in Gaza City, representatives of the territory’s influential tribes accused Israel of empowering factions that loot aid sites and implored Witkoff to stay several hours in Gaza to witness life firsthand.
“We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,” they said. “Our children are hungry in the streets.”
In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called the current setup “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.”
“It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations, Israeli military sanctioned curfews, and frequent GHF messages saying that people should not travel to the sites before the distribution window opens,” the report said. It cited doctors, aid seekers and at least one security contractor.
Since the group’s operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds.
Responding to the report, Israel’s military blamed Hamas for sabotaging the aid distribution system but said it was working to make the routes under its control safer for those traveling to aid sites. GHF did not immediately respond to questions about the report.
The group has never allowed journalists to visit their sites and Israel’s military has barred reporters from independently entering Gaza throughout the war.
International condemnations have mounted as such reports trickle out of Gaza, including from aid organizations that previously oversaw distribution.
A July 30 video published Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated.
“We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,” said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Israel for Gaza aid tour
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel and has crossed into Gaza. He met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the humanitarian crisis. He then made a rare crossing into southern Gaza, alongside U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. At least 91 people have been killed while attempting to get aid, 54 of whom were killed while waiting to get food. Another 600 were wounded. The White House plans to announce an aid package on Friday. It also comes as the U.N. ramps up pressure on both Israel and Hamas to reach a deal.
Witkoff, a real estate developer-turned-envoy, arrived in Israel on Thursday, July 31, and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the humanitarian crisis. He then made a rare crossing into southern Gaza, alongside U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites. We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat! pic.twitter.com/GyVK5cwNgZ — Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) August 1, 2025
Following his arrival, Trump shared a post on Truth Social saying, “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
Hunger crisis in Gaza
The White House said Huckabee and Witkoff will tour aid distribution sites in Rafah and meet directly with Palestinians. They are also working to finalize a new plan to increase food availability in the strip.
Witkoff will likely brief Trump immediately after the visit, and officials plan to announce an aid package on Friday.
The visit comes after at least 91 people were killed while attempting to get aid, 54 of whom were killed while waiting to get food. Another 600 were wounded.
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CBS reports the death toll will likely rise, as rescuers continue bringing victims to isolated, smaller hospitals in northern Gaza, where staff have yet to account for patients and casualties. These deaths come on top of dozens more since the beginning of July.
Israel denied responsibility, saying its troops only fired warning shots and blamed the gunfire within the crowd.
Still, video shows rescuers hauling wounded Palestinians away in carts as hospitals quickly become overwhelmed.
Discussing a ceasefire
Witkoff’s trip marks the first direct talks with Netanyahu since truce negotiations collapsed last week. It also comes as the U.S. ramps up pressure on both Israel and Hamas to reach a deal and end the war.
An official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that Witkoff is expected to discuss a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with Netanyahu.
Gaza latest: Trump allies talk up success of aid group on visit to site in Gaza – despite food ‘catastrophe’ warning
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is in control of distributing food in Gaza. It is backed by the US and Israel and was set up in February this year. But its effectiveness has been marred by controversy and fatal shootings. 859 people have been killed “in the vicinity” of GHF aid sites since late May. Israeli soldiers have been accused of opening fire on crowds. The GHF defends its actions, saying it is working in a war zone. It says that previously aid was being hijacked by Hamas and it is “breaking the failed aid models”
Much of today’s news has centred around the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – a controversial aid group backed by the US and Israel which is in control of distributing food in Gaza.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee talked up the GHF’s efforts to provide meals to Gazans after his visit to Rafah today (see 11.56 post).
But its effectiveness has been marred by controversy and fatal shootings, ever since it was set up in February this year.
Aid deaths
According to the UN’s human rights office, 859 people have been killed “in the vicinity” of GHF aid sites since late May.
Desperate crowds can surge for food or around aid convoys as a starvation crisis grips Gaza.
Israeli soldiers have been accused of opening fire on crowds.
The GHF operates in Israeli military zones and there have been near-daily reports of deaths near its aid sites.
Israel denies its soldiers intentionally shoot at civilians and says they only fire warning shots.
Read more from our data and forensics team below…
Chief executive quits
The group has been controversial from the start.
On the eve of it becoming operational, its chief executive Jake Wood resigned.
Similarly, aid organisations refused to co-operate with it, questioning its credibility and independence.
Initial reports in US media also suggested it had been Israel’s idea.
Millions of meals
Northern Gaza has seen some of the worst conditions, with aid agencies warning late last year that it was on the brink of famine.
The GHF has three hubs in the south and one in central Gaza.
It promised to deliver 300 million meals within its first 90 days.
It says it has so far delivered 100 million meals.
The GHF hands out vital supplies and pre-packaged rations of food.
But UN-backed food scarcity authority, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), warned that the meals the GHF delivers “are not ready-to-eat and require water and fuel to cook, which are largely unavailable.”
See our 11.30 post for more on that.
Working in a war zone
The GHF defends its actions, saying it is working in a war zone.
It says that previously aid was being hijacked by Hamas and it is “breaking the failed aid models”.
US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday. The visit comes amid international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, witnesses and health officials have said.“We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,” says a Gaza tribesman. “Our children are hungry in the streets,’’ says a woman in a Gaza tent, “and we want him to come live with us.’ ‘It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid,’ says a Human Rights Watch report. ‘The best-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza’
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday amid international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites.
With food scarce and parcels being airdropped, Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Chapin Fay, the group’s spokesperson, said the visit reflected Trump’s understanding of the stakes and that “feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority.”
All four of the group’s sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and have become flashpoints of desperation during their months of operation, with starving people scrambling for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling.
The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.
Witkoff’s visit comes a week after U.S. officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Witkoff was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries, while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages.
Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said they have received the bodies of 25 people, including 13 who were killed while trying to get aid, including near the site that U.S. officials visited. GHF denied anyone was killed at their sites on Friday and said most recent incidents had taken place near United Nations aid convoys.
The remaining 12 were killed in airstrikes, the officials said. Israel’s military did not immediately comment.
Human Rights Watch: ‘Near impossible’
International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.”
Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is hoarded and later sold at exorbitant prices.
At a Friday press conference in Gaza City, representatives of the territory’s influential tribes accused Israel of empowering factions that loot aid sites and implored Witkoff to stay several hours in Gaza to witness life firsthand.
“We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,” they said. “Our children are hungry in the streets.”
In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called the current setup “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.”
“It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations, Israeli military sanctioned curfews, and frequent GHF messages saying that people should not travel to the sites before the distribution window opens,” the report said. It cited doctors, aid seekers and at least one security contractor.
Since the group’s operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds.
Responding to the report, Israel’s military blamed Hamas for sabotaging the aid distribution system but said it was working to make the routes under its control safer for those traveling to aid sites. GHF did not immediately respond to questions about the report.
The group has never allowed journalists to visit their sites and Israel’s military has barred reporters from independently entering Gaza throughout the war.
International condemnations have mounted as such reports trickle out of Gaza, including from aid organizations that previously oversaw distribution.
A July 30 video published Thursday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated.
“We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,” said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member.
German foreign minister visits occupied West Bank
Some of Israel’s traditional allies have moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood hoping to revive prospects of a two-state solution. Germany has thus far refrained from doing so. On a tour in the occupied West Bank, the country’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Germany’s foreign minister called on Israel to be open to making peace and said Hamas militants should lay down their weapons and release the hostages.
Speaking in the Christian-majority village of Taybeh, Wadephul called Israeli settlements in the West Bank a key obstacle to a two-state solution. He condemned settler violence and destruction, and criticized the Israeli military for failing to do more to prevent the attacks.
The frequency of settler attacks in the West Bank have increased since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according to the United Nations. The conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.
They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Metz reported from Jerusalem and Frankel from Tel Aviv, Israel.
France drops 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid in Gaza as crisis worsens
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot calls for the Strip to be “flooded with water, food and medicine” Humanitarian airdrops resumed on Sunday, after the Israeli army announced a pause in the fighting. US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit the Gaza Strip to inspect humanitarian aid distribution sites and meet locals. Since the beginning of July, 5,000 children under the age of 5 have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition. Sixty-three children have died of starvation.
Speaking to French radio Franceinfo, he highlighted the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave. “There’s not a minute left to lose,” Barrot said.
France’s top diplomat acknowledged that this aid was “insufficient” to meet the needs of the population.
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On Tuesday, Barrot had mentioned “four flights carrying 10 tonnes of food each”, implying that four rotations would be carried out.
Humanitarian airdrops resumed on Sunday, after the Israeli army announced a pause in the fighting.
The first flights airdropping much-needed aid were carried out by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
The UK was the first European country to take part, followed by Germany, Belgium and now France, which have all set up an “air route” via Jordan.
Reopen all access routes, Barrot says
A World Health Organisation report published on Thursday warned of the dramatic famine facing Gaza.
Since the beginning of July, 5,000 children under the age of 5 have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition. Sixty-three children have died of starvation.
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Barrot described the situation as “absolutely intolerable”.
The French foreign minister also denounced the restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of humanitarian aid.
He claimed that “52 tonnes (of aid) have been waiting for months just a few kilometres from the Gaza Strip”.
“The Israeli government must now reopen all access routes – air, land and sea – to allow unhindered and massive access of humanitarian aid to the civilian populations who need it so badly”.
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At the same time, a rare visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to take place in the Gaza Strip.
He will be inspecting humanitarian aid distribution sites and meeting locals.
The purpose of this mission is to “report back to the president (…) to approve a final plan for the distribution of aid”, according to the White House spokeswoman.