The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited a food distribution site operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) amid growing controversy over the US and Israeli-backed organization’s operations.
The visit came as Gaza is facing a looming famine and after the US President, Donald Trump, acknowledged there was “real starvation” in Gaza, despite Israeli denials.
Witkoff in Gaza
On Friday, Witkoff visited a GHF aid distribution site in the southern city of Rafah – one of three locations operated by the controversial organization in the war-torn enclave and near which Israeli gunfire killed hundreds of Palestinians, reported CNN.
Accompanied by the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, the US Special Envoy said that they “spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with) GHF officials) and other agencies.”
He added that the purpose of the visit was to relay to Trump a “clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
Gaza Starvation Crisis
Gaza is enduring a deepening starvation crisis as a result of a two-month Israeli blockade on the Strip and restrictions imposed on aid flow. Starvation and malnutrition are claiming more lives in Gaza, as the death toll from war has exceeded 60,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed monitor, warned on Tuesday that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is “now unfolding” in Gaza. The enclave’s health authorities said that the war’s death toll from hunger has reached 162 Palestinians, including 92 children.
US Acknowledges Starvation
Earlier this week, Trump said there was a “real starvation” in Gaza, suggesting that the US would establish new food centers in the Strip. With his remarks, Trump contradicted the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed there was no starvation in Gaza.
During a visit to Scotland on Monday, the US President said that Israel assumes a lot of responsibility for aid flows, suggesting that many people could be saved. “You have a lot of starving people,” Trump said.
“We’re going to set up food centers,” to ease access, he said, adding that the US would collaborate with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including food and sanitation.
After Witkoff’s visit to Gaza, Trump said he spoke to him and that the US Envoy “had a great meeting with a lot of people, and the primary meeting was on food. And he had, he also had some other conversations that I’ll tell you about later, but he had a meeting on getting the people fed, and that’s what we want.”
Visiting GHF Site
The GHF operation system aims to control aid distribution in Gaza and prevent aid from reaching Hamas – a claim that an internal US government review debunked after finding no evidence that Hamas steals humanitarian aid.
However, the GHF model has been marred with controversy. Since it started operation in May, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid, most of them near GHF distribution sites, according to the UN Human Rights Office. The UN refused to work with the GHF, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles.
After his Gaza visit, Huckabee praised GHF, saying that it delivers food to Palestinians in Gaza without reaching Hamas. He said that the organization distributed over 100 million meals to Gaza since it started operation in May – a number that other aid agencies said was insufficient.
Meanwhile, Palestinians said that Israeli troops fired at them while waiting for food supplies near the same distribution hub that Witkoff and Huckabee visited on Friday. At least 12 people were killed and 90 others injured while attempting to get aid, including near the site that US officials visited.
Commenting on Witkoff’s trip to Gaza, Hamas senior official, Basem Naim, criticized the visit as a publicity stunt. “Mr. Witkoff, Gaza is not an animal farm that requires a staged personal visit to take some personal photos in front of the death traps overseen by your American companies,” Naim said in a statement.
Netanyahu Meeting
Before his Gaza visit, Witkoff met with Netanyahu on Thursday in an effort to save ceasefire talks and address the Strip’s humanitarian crisis, reported Reuters.
Following the meeting, an Israeli official said that the US and Israel are working on an understanding that there was a need to move to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
After Witkoff’s arrival in Israel, Trump posted on Truth Social: “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!”
Ceasefire Talks
The Gaza ceasefire negotiations appear to have reached a deadlock as the US and Israel pulled their negotiating teams from Doha last week, accusing Hamas of not wanting to reach a deal. They also said they would consider “alternative options” to release the remaining hostages.
On Tuesday, mediators Egypt and Qatar backed the Two-State Solution Conference’s final declaration, issued by Saudi Arabia and France, which states that Hamas “must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.”
Under increasing international pressure to prevent famine in Gaza, Israel announced last week “tactical pauses” to fighting across three areas in the Strip: Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm local time to allow aid delivery.
It also announced other measures including the resumption of airdrops into Gaza and establishing safe corridors for aid convoys. However, humanitarian groups have criticized aid airdrops as expensive, inefficient and dangerous for those on the ground.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that the World Health Organization (WHO) will deliver trucks loaded with urgent medical supplies and equipment to Gaza’s hospitals.
