U.S. Envoy Visits Gaza Amid Rising Concerns Over Aid Distribution
President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited a U.S.-backed aid distribution center in Gaza on Friday, promising a plan to increase food supplies to the region. This visit occurred as the United Nations human rights office reported that Israeli forces had killed hundreds of hungry Palestinians waiting for aid.
Witkoff’s trip coincided with a report from Human Rights Watch, which accused Israeli forces of creating “regular bloodbaths” near U.S.-backed aid points managed by the private Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The UN human rights office stated that at least 1,373 people have been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since May 27, with 105 of those deaths occurring in the last two days of July.
Most of these killings were attributed to the Israeli military, according to the UN. The death toll was broken down into 859 people killed near GHF food sites and 514 along routes used by UN and other aid agency convoys.
Witkoff spent over five hours inside Gaza, as seen in a post that included a photo of him wearing a protective vest and meeting staff at a GHF distribution center. He stated that his goal was to provide President Trump with a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help develop a plan to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza’s population.
Trump echoed this sentiment in a phone call with Axios, where he spoke about a plan to “get people fed.” He emphasized the need to help civilians, stating, “We want to help people. We want to help them live. We want to get people fed. It is something that should have happened long time ago.”
Despite this, Trump did not specify whether his plan would involve reinforcing the GHF or establishing a new system. The foundation claimed it had delivered its 100-millionth meal in Gaza during Witkoff’s visit, highlighting its role in aiding civilians rather than Hamas.
Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that 22 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes on Friday, including eight who were waiting to collect food aid. The GHF has largely bypassed the traditional UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza, especially as Israel began to ease a two-month-long aid blockade that worsened existing shortages of food and essential supplies.
Human Rights Watch Accuses Israeli Forces of Using Starvation as a Weapon
In a report released on Friday, Human Rights Watch accused the Israeli military of using starvation as a weapon of war. The watchdog’s associate crisis and conflict director, Belkis Wille, stated that Israeli forces are not only deliberately starving Palestinian civilians but also killing them almost daily as they seek food for their families.
“US-backed Israeli forces and private contractors have put in place a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths,” Wille said.
The Israeli military responded to the report by stating that the GHF operates independently. However, it acknowledged that soldiers work in proximity to the new distribution areas to ensure the orderly delivery of food. The military also accused Hamas of attempting to prevent food distribution and mentioned it is conducting a review of the reported deaths.
International Pressure Mounts on Israel
After arriving in Israel on Thursday, Witkoff held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and free the remaining hostages taken during the October 2023 attack. However, he faces international pressure to end the violence, which has resulted in more than 60,000 Palestinian deaths and threatens many more with famine.
Following discussions with Witkoff, Netanyahu met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, an ally of Israel. Wadephul described the humanitarian disaster in Gaza as “beyond imagination” and urged the government to provide humanitarian and medical aid to prevent mass starvation.
“I have the impression that this has been understood today,” Wadephul added.
Hostage Situation and Ongoing Conflict
The Hamas-led October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to official figures. Of the 251 people taken hostage, 49 remain in Gaza, including 27 declared dead by the Israeli military.
The Israeli offensive has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry. However, media restrictions and challenges in accessing certain areas make it difficult for independent verification of these figures.