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U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Gaza on Aug. 1 amid the dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn strip of land.
The two visited sites connected with the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and other entities at the request of President Donald Trump. The visit came amid growing international pressure to resolve what the United Nations has called “widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease” in Gaza.
Prompted in part by the humanitarian crisis, France, Britain, and Canada have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state, something that Trump has opposed.
Witkoff said his aim in the five-hour visit was “level setting the facts on the ground.”
“The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff stated on X.
Huckabee said in a post on X that the pair had been briefed by the Israel Defense Forces and “spoke to folks on the ground.”
Gaza Humanitarian Foundation spokesperson Chapin Fay said the group was honored by Witkoff’s visit. “President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” Fay said in a statement.
At the center of the issue are competing claims over whether or not international aid is being stolen by the designated terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, and who can be relied upon to deliver food to the people of Gaza.
Israel, claiming that Hamas has stolen food shipments and sold them for profit, imposed severe restrictions on aid delivered to Gaza from March to May. Hamas denies the charge. To guard against the theft of food, Israel and the United States have backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has delivered 100 million meals to those in need in Gaza since May 5. The organization gives away millions of meals daily.
The UN has refused to partner with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, claiming that its methods are unsafe and violate the principle of neutrality, which has exacerbated the food crisis. As of July 15, according to the UN, of 875 Palestinians who have died while trying to obtain food, 674 were killed near sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Israel began on July 27 to take 10-hour pauses in the fighting in some areas of Gaza to allow for the flow of aid.
The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, in a terror attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis. Hamas also took 251 hostages in an attack, 50 of whom, including two Americans, are still being held, according to the American Jewish Committee.
Since then, a large number of Gazans have been killed in the war, with estimates ranging up to 60,000, according to local authorities.
Peace negotiations were halted on July 24 with Witkoff saying Hamas was unserious about ending the conflict.
While the mediators have made a great effort, Israel remains on offense, and “Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff posted on X. “We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
