This handout photograph from US Embassy Jerusalem reveals White Home particular envoy Steve Witkoff, middle, visiting a meals distribution web site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Basis, a U.S.-backed group accredited by Israel, within the Gaza Strip Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.
David Azaguri/US Embassy Jerusalem through AP
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David Azaguri/US Embassy Jerusalem through AP
U.S. particular envoy to the Center East Steve Witkoff arrived within the southern Gazan metropolis of Rafah Friday, the place he inspected an help distribution middle operated by the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF).
Witkoff was accompanied by the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who posted concerning the go to on X, saying that they had gone to Gaza to “be taught the reality” concerning the help web site, including: “GHF delivers multiple million meals a day, an unbelievable feat!”
However the worldwide neighborhood has criticized the meals help system vociferously, saying individuals in Gaza are ravenous and have been shot making an attempt to get meals.
Witkoff and Huckabee would temporary President Trump “instantly after their go to to approve a remaining plan for meals and help distribution into the area,” mentioned White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and additional particulars on future meals distribution mechanisms can be printed “as soon as that plan is accredited and agreed on” by the president.
Witkoff landed in Israel earlier this week to satisfy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as U.N.-backed meals safety consultants reported {that a} famine is unfolding in Gaza partly due to Israeli restrictions on help coming into the territory.
On the identical time different world leaders have known as on Israeli authorities to permit unrestricted help flows to stop additional civilian deaths. Not solely are day by day deaths linked to hunger persevering with in Gaza, native medics and worldwide help teams say, however the United Nations reported that since Might greater than 800 individuals have been killed whereas making an attempt to entry meals from distribution websites run by the GHF.
FILE – President-elect Donald Trump listens to Steve Witkoff communicate throughout a information convention at Mar-a-Lago, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Seashore, Fla.
Evan Vucci/AP
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Evan Vucci/AP
The Gaza well being authorities mentioned Thursday that no less than 91 Palestinians had been killed, and round 600 wounded, whereas making an attempt to entry meals and help over simply the previous 24 hours. On Friday morning, much more Palestinians got here beneath fireplace from Israeli troops at one web site managed by the GHF, based on NPR’s producer in Gaza, Anas Baba.
The GHF was established to bypass the United Nations, and Israel has insisted on its continued operation, blaming Hamas for the violence that has typically surrounded the group’s websites.
However Israel’s stance on meals help restrictions has prompted France, the U.Ok. and Canada to announce plans to acknowledge a Palestinian state, with Britain saying this might occur in September until Israel modifications course. It is one thing Israel’s international minister, Gideon Saar, insisted at a press convention this week would go away Hamas in energy, and “ain’t gonna occur.”
On Thursday, the U.S. State Division mentioned it might impose visa-related sanctions on the Palestinian Authority, headquartered within the West Financial institution, due partly to its assist for instances towards Israel’s actions in Gaza which can be being heard at worldwide courts.
The Palestinian Authority has been pushing for higher worldwide recognition of Palestinian statehood, as a pathway to a future two-state resolution involving Israelis and Palestinians.
The escalating international and home outrage over Israel’s insurance policies concerning meals shortages in Gaza has prolonged to a number of different European international locations, and even to the U.S. Senate, the place a majority of Democrats this week voted to dam gross sales of particular American weapons to Israel.
Human Rights Watch has accused Israeli troops that keep a safety presence close to the handful of GHF websites in Gaza of finishing up warfare crimes throughout their actions towards Palestinian help seekers. NPR can’t verify this report by HRW.
The rights group’s report, printed Friday, mentioned the “dire humanitarian scenario is a direct results of Israel’s use of hunger of civilians as a weapon of warfare — a warfare crime — in addition to Israel’s continued intentional deprivation of help and primary providers, which quantities to the crime towards humanity of extermination, and acts of genocide.”
Belkis Wille, affiliate disaster and battle director at HRW, mentioned within the report that “Israeli forces will not be solely intentionally ravenous Palestinian civilians, however they’re now gunning them down virtually daily as they desperately search meals for his or her households.”
Palestinians mourn a person killed whereas making an attempt to achieve help vehicles coming into northern Gaza by means of the Zikim crossing with Israel, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza Metropolis, Thursday.
Jehad Alshrafi/AP
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Jehad Alshrafi/AP
The help system put in place by contractors on the GHF was “flawed” and “militarized,” Wille mentioned, and had “turned help distributions into common bloodbaths.”
President Trump mentioned he hopes Israel will make sure the supply of meals to ravenous Palestinians and stop help diversion by Hamas.
In an interview with NBC, Trump described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a reliable particular person” and mentioned his administration needed “to ensure individuals get fed.” He emphasised that “good administration” would stop the theft of help, including, “Hopefully, the Israelis will present that.”
When questioned by reporters about Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s characterization of Israel’s actions in Gaza this week as genocide, Trump responded, “It is horrible what’s occurring there. It is a horrible factor. Individuals are very hungry.”
He reiterated his declare that the U.S. had supplied thousands and thousands in help to the GHF, however questions its efficacy.
“It is a disgrace as a result of I do not see the outcomes of it. We gave it to individuals who, in idea, are watching over it pretty carefully. We needed Israel to look at over it. A part of the issue is that Hamas is taking the cash they usually’re taking the meals,” Trump mentioned. U.N. and different help companies in Gaza say they haven’t seen their help being diverted by Hamas and that a lot of the looting is pushed by armed gangs, a few of whom Israel has brazenly backed to undermine Hamas.
Emily Feng in Tel Aviv and Anas Baba in Gaza contributed reporting.
