Trump Envoy says Singapore Gaza aid program after visiting the distribution site – state
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy visited a food distribution site in the Gaza Strip run by Israel-backed U.S. contractors on Friday, whose efforts to deliver food to hungry territory have been damaged by violence and controversy.
International experts warned this week that the “worst case of famine” aired in Gaza. Israel’s nearly 22-month military offensive against Hamas has undermined the security of about 2 million Palestinian territory, making it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to hungry people.
Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s place of distribution in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza, which was almost completely destroyed and now becomes an Israeli military zone.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Israeli fires since May, according to witnesses, health officials and the UN Human Rights Office. Israel and GHF said they only turned on warning shots and exaggerated them.
In a report released Friday, the New York-based human rights watcher said the GHF was a “flawed military aid distribution system that turned aid distribution into a conventional blood pond.”
Vikov says he is developing a new Gaza aid plan
Witkoff posted on X that he spent five hours in Gaza to “have a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help develop a plan to provide food and medical assistance to the people of Gaza.”
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters that he did not request any meeting with UN officials in Gaza during his visit. Since the beginning of the war, UN agencies have provided assistance throughout the Gaza region.
GHF spokesman Chapin Fay said the visit reflects Trump’s understanding of the bet, “Feeding civilians rather than Hamas must be a priority”. The aid team said it has provided more than 100 million meals since it started operations in May.
All four locations established by the group in May are in areas controlled by the Israeli military and have become desperate flashpoints, while hungry people scramble for scarce aid.
The UN Human Rights Office said last month that most people have been near GHF locations since May, but seeking aid near UN aid convoys have killed more than 1,000 people in Israeli fires.
The Israeli military said it fired warning shots only at those approaching the troops, and GHF said its armed contractors only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.
Dozens of people were killed near the aid site
Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said Friday they received bodies of 13 people who tried to get assistance, including near the scene where U.S. officials visited. GHF denied being killed at its scene on Friday.
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The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning guns from the aid location (those described as suspects) and said the order to keep a distance from its troops was ignored. It said it was not aware of any casualties, but was still under investigation.
Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of the SHIFA hospital, which received the body, said 23 more people were killed and dozens of people were injured near the Israeli-run intersection. He said the vast majority of the injuries were from gunfire.
The Israeli military said it attacked several militants in northern Gaza, but the strike “was not taken near the passage of humanitarian aid trucks and did not cause any damage to them.”
Palestinian Red Crescent Emergency Service said 11 people were killed at another aid allocation point in Gaza. The military did not immediately comment on the deaths.
HRW Grand Slam Israel-supported assistance system
“It is nearly impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by the GHF to stay safe and receive assistance, especially in the context of ongoing military operations,” Human Rights Watch said in its report. It cites doctors, help seekers and at least one GHF security contractor.
Based on previous claims, it describes how thousands of Palestinians gathered on the night before opening. As they walked to the location, Israeli troops controlled their movements by firing at them. Once they enter the website, they fight for assistance for everyone’s expenses, while the weaker, more vulnerable people get nothing.
In response to the report, Israeli military accusations Hamas of undermining the aid distribution system without providing evidence. It said it is working to make routes more securely controlled by those heading to aid sites. GHF did not immediately answer questions about the report.
The group never allowed journalists to visit their sites, and Israeli troops were unable to enter Gaza independently throughout the war.
Top German diplomats condemn violence by settlers in West Bank
German Foreign Minister visited Tebe on the west bank of Thailand, a Palestinian Christian village that has recently been attacked by Israeli settlers. Johann Wadephul said Israel’s settlements were a barrier to peace and condemnation of settlers’ violence. He also called on Hamas to lie in the Gaza Strip and release the rest of the hostages.
So far, Germany has refused to join other major Western countries, including Canada, and announced plans to endorse the Palestinian state.
Palestinians in another nearby town lay on Khamis Ayad, 45, said they were suffocating when they put out the fire that broke out by settlers in an attack the night before. Witnesses said Israeli troops fired live tours and tear gas at residents following the settler attack.
Israeli troops said police are investigating the incident. They said security forces found Hebrew graffiti and a burning vehicle at the scene, but did not detain any suspects.
Since the Israeli attacks on Israel in Gaza on October 7, 2023, settler attacks and Palestinian radical attacks on Israel and Israel have been on the rise.
On that day, militants led by Hamas killed about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, 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, which did not distinguish between militants and civilians and operated under the Hamas government. The United Nations and other international organizations regard it as the most reliable source of data for casualties.
Metz reported from Jerusalem and Frankel in Tel Aviv, Israel. Edith M. Lederer, an Associated Press writer, contributed to the report.
