Trump officials will check Gaza food distribution as death toll rises – state
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump, arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza as Palestinian death toll awaits food and other aid continue to climb. The White House said Witkov and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee will check food distributions in Gaza on Friday.
Hamas – The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates, said Thursday that at least 91 Palestinians were killed and more than 600 were injured when trying to get aid in the past 24 hours. Among them is 54 people killed Wednesday while awaiting food in northern Gaza near the Zikim transit. The operation is expected to rise further as many people killed or injured were taken to quarantine, inadequate hospitals in northern Gaza, and have not been counted.
Israeli military said Palestinians were surrounding aid trucks and Israeli troops fired warnings to the crowd, but reportedly unaware of the damage caused by the Israeli fire.
A security official, who asked not to be named, said the gunshots came from the crowd and were caused by a dispute between Palestinians who were trying to get aid.
Hungry scrambles for fallen food
The scene of despair and chaos reappeared on Thursday as dozens of Palestinians ran to the air in the central Gaza city of Zawaida to the food aid side. Aid providers have turned to the sky due to severe food insecurity in the Gaza Strip.
As hungry crowds scream, fighting and fighting for packages, the dripping causes stampedeship and small-scale clashes.
Eslam al-Telbany, a woman displaced from Jabalia, said she was carrying a bottle of cooking oil and a bag of flour when she was attacked and bitten, eventually dumping the items and returning home without assistance.
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She said as she cried, “I went, and my children prayed that I would go to food. They didn’t eat or drink anything in two days.”
Ahmed al-Khatib said he broke his teeth in the struggle by stealing a bag of flour from him.
Meanwhile, Rana Attia, another displaced woman, said people felt more dignified to receive text messages telling them where to collect aid rather than randomly chasing dropped plots under the hot heat.
“We don’t want them to help us like this,” she said.
Despite the air-conditioned package, the amount of entry into Gaza is still much lower than the 500 to 600 trucks a day required by the aid organization.
The Israeli defense agency responsible for coordinating humanitarian aid said 270 aid trucks in Gaza entered Gaza, Gaza entered Gaza and 32 pallets were brought into the strip.
Under enormous international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures over the weekend to promote more international aid to Gaza. The international community has raised criticism of Israel’s worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
International organizations said Gaza has been on the verge of famine over the past two years, but recent developments, including a complete lockdown of aid for 2 1/2 months, meant that “the worst of the famine is currently being played in Gaza”.
Gaza’s criticism of Israel comes from firm allies
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived in Israel on Thursday for a two-day trip, which also brought him to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Germany has traditionally been a staunch ally of Israel and has been increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza recently. It insists that Israel must do more to increase aid supplies and push for a ceasefire.
Berlin has not yet joined France, Britain and Canada’s major allies, saying it will recognize the Palestinian state in September. However, in a statement ahead of Thursday’s departure, Wadephul emphasized Germany’s position that a two-state solution is the only way to ensure a future of peace and security for both peoples.
“For Germany, recognition of the Palestinian state stands quite at the end of the process. But the process must begin now. Germany will not get rid of this goal,” Wadephul said.
Trump’s special envoy Witkoff arrived in Israel Thursday afternoon and is expected to talk to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the humanitarian situation and a possible ceasefire, speaking on anonymous condition to discuss sensitive matters.
This is the first meeting between Witkoff and Netanyahu, as both Israel and the United States gathered their negotiating team from Qatar a week ago. Witkov said at the time that Hamas “displayed a lack of desire” to truce.
“The fastest way to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is to get Hamas to surrender and release the hostages!!!” Trump wrote on his truth social platform Thursday morning.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “works to save lives and end the crisis” and Witkoff “works to save lives and end the crisis.”
The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 people.
They still seized 50 hostages, including about 20 living hostages. Most of the others have been released in a ceasefire or other transactions.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel’s retaliatory offensive killed more than 60,000 Palestinians. Its number cannot distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the leadership of the Hamas government. The United Nations and other international organizations regard it as the most reliable source of data for casualties.
Fatma Khaled contributed the report in Cairo, Sam Metz in Jerusalem and Imad Isseid in Ramallah in the West Bank.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
