Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, visited Gaza on Friday, touring one of the heavily criticized aid sites in Rafah where Israeli forces have reportedly killed hundreds of Palestinians waiting for food.
Witkoff’s visit, reported by multiple Israeli outlets, came shortly after meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His trip follows growing international condemnation over starvation in Gaza, exacerbated by months of Israeli-imposed aid restrictions.
This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites. We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat! pic.twitter.com/GyVK5cwNgZ
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) August 1, 2025
The White House said Witkoff, joined by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, was assessing ways to accelerate food deliveries. “The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Human Rights Watch labeled the aid sites, operated by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as “death traps.” The UN estimates nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces near the sites.
Trump called the crisis “a terrible thing,” noting the U.S. had provided financial assistance.
