“The purpose of the visit was to give [Trump] a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
Footage posted to social media captured scores of people whistling and yelling as they arrived at the site.
The visit came a day after Witkoff touched down in Israel to push for fresh ceasefire negotiations with Hamas to bring an end to the war.
Trump has blamed Hamas for the ongoing starvation crisis gripping Gaza – as he insisted the fastest way to end the aid debacle would be for the terror group to surrender and release its remaining hostages.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Witkoff was being sent in to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries.
“President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart and that’s why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis,” she told reporters.
Israel continues to face mounting pressure over the crisis in Gaza after harrowing scenes of starving Palestinians exploded into public view and international organizations warned the region was on the brink of famine.
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement after Witkoff’s visit.
“We were honored to brief his delegation, share our operations, and demonstrate the impact of delivering 100 million meals to those who need them most.”
The visit came, too, after aid groups voiced concerns that supply points are being choked off as the military conflict between Israel and Hamas rages on.
Israel announced last weekend that it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza to allow aid, including food and medicine, to be delivered.
Despite the flow of aid resuming, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed, the groups stressed.
The United Nations alleges, too, that more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating there in May.
GHF, however, has said nobody has been killed at its distribution points — and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN.
Hours after Witkoff’s visit, Palestinian medics said Israeli forces had shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group’s four sites.
It wasn’t immediately clear if it was the same location the US officials had just toured.
https://nypost.com/2025/08/01/us-news/trumps-special-envoy-visits-gaza-aid-site-amid-concern-over-humanitarian-crisis/
