Israeli Channel 13 reported this Friday morning that Witkoff and Huckabee arrived in Rafah, where Witkoff is visiting a humanitarian aid distribution center in the southern city of the Gaza Strip. It was clarified that upon his visit, he will present a report to U.S. President Donald Trump on what he observed, and this report will form the basis for drafting a new strategy for distributing food and humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as part of efforts to salvage ceasefire talks in Gaza and address the escalating humanitarian crisis. This comes amidst warnings from international organizations about the risk of famine in the region.
Shortly after Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his “Truth Social” platform: “The fastest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages.”
The Gaza Strip is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises, with its residents suffering from severe famine imposed by Israel since October 7, 2023. Israel has closed all crossings with the region for months and has blocked the entry of most food and medical aid, leading to widespread famine.
From October 7, 2023, until last July, the war on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 59,000 Palestinians, in addition to approximately 143,000 injured, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the region.
