Summary
- Trump envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel Thursday.
- Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee to inspect Gaza food aid Friday.
- They will assess food distribution sites amid the worsening crisis.
- The mission aims to develop a plan to expand aid deliveries.
- White House emphasizes the dire situation and plans to speed aid.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported Thursday that at least 91 Palestinians have been murdered and over 600 injured in the last 24 hours while trying to receive relief. According to the ministry, 54 Palestinians were slain on Wednesday while waiting for supplies in northern Gaza close to the Zikim gate. Since many of the dead or injured were taken to remote, underfunded hospitals in northern Gaza, the number is certain to increase even further.
Although they did not know of any injuries brought on by Israeli fire, the Israeli military said that Palestinians surrounded assistance trucks and that they fired warning bullets into the throng.
According to a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with military norms, the gunshot originated inside the crowd and was caused by clashes between Palestinians trying to get supplies.
In Zawaida, a city in central Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians rushed for food supplies that was dropped from the sky on Thursday, reenacting scenes of pandemonium and desperation. In the face of acute food insecurity in the Gaza Strip, aid workers have looked to the skies as border crossings stay blocked.
Eslam al-Telbany, a displaced lady from Jabalia, claimed that she was attacked and bitten while carrying a sack of flour and a bottle of cooking oil. She eventually dropped the items and left without assistance.
“I went and my children prayed that I’d return with food. They haven’t eaten or drank anything for two days,”
she said as she wept.
The quantity entering Gaza is still significantly less than the 500 to 600 trucks per day that humanitarian organizations claim are required, even with the airdropped packages.
According to the Israeli defense agency responsible for organizing help in Gaza, 32 pallets of aid were airdropped into the Strip on Wednesday, while 270 trucks of aid entered Gaza.
Israel took a number of steps over the weekend to allow more foreign supplies to enter Gaza in response to intense international pressure. Israel has been under heavy fire from the international community over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza," according to international organizations, despite the fact that Gaza has been on the verge of starvation for the previous two years due to recent events, such as a complete ban on aid for two and a half months.
Israel's actions in Gaza are criticized by ardent supporters.
Johann Wadephul, the foreign minister of Germany, landed in Israel Thursday. He will visit the Israeli-occupied West Bank during his two-day visit.
Germany, a longtime supporter of Israel, has recently expressed growing disapproval of Israel's policies in Gaza. It has urged for a truce and demanded that Israel do more to boost relief deliveries.
Berlin has not said that it will recognize a Palestinian state in September, as France, Britain, and Canada have done. Wadephul, however, emphasized Germany's stance that a two-state solution is "the only way" to guarantee a future in peace and security for people on both sides in a statement prior to his departure on Thursday.
“For Germany, the recognition of a Palestinian state stands rather at the end of the process. But such a process must begin now. Germany will not move from this aim,”
Wadephul said.
According to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff also arrived in Israel Thursday afternoon with the expectation of meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the humanitarian situation and a potential truce.
Witkoff and Netanyahu are meeting for the first time since both Israel and the United States brought their negotiation teams home from Qatar a week ago. At the time, Witkoff claimed that Hamas "shows a lack of desire" to make a ceasefire.
“The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Thursday morning.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more. This marked the beginning of the conflict. About 20 of the 50 hostages they still have are thought to be alive. In ceasefires or other agreements, the majority of the others have been released.
Gaza's Health Ministry reports that over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliation onslaught. The count does not differentiate between civilians and militants. The Hamas government is in charge of the ministry. It is regarded as the most trustworthy source of casualty data by the United Nations and other international organizations.
How might their inspection influence US aid strategies for Gaza?
The inspection by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee of food distribution sites in Gaza is likely to influence US aid strategies by providing firsthand assessment of the humanitarian situation, operational challenges, and security issues on the ground.
Their visit will help the US administration finalize and possibly adjust its plan for delivering more food aid to Gaza based on direct observations and feedback from local Gazans. This hands-on evaluation aims to ensure aid distribution is more effective, accessible, and less prone to delays or obstruction.
The visit is expected to inform President Trump’s approval of a final food and aid distribution plan, potentially leading to changes in how aid is managed, secured, and expanded to reduce suffering amid politically sensitive conditions.