President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel and is expected to visit Gaza, where the death toll among Palestinians waiting for aid continues to climb.
The death toll among Palestinians waiting for food and other aid in Gaza continued to climb as President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived on a visit to the region. Witkoff landed in Israel on Thursday, and the White House said he and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee will visit Gaza on Friday to inspect aid operations.
Witkoff is expected to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters told The Associated Press.
This would be the first meeting between Witkoff and Netanyahu since both Israel and the U.S. called their negotiation teams home from Qatar one week ago. Witkoff said at the time that Hamas showed «a lack of desire» to reach a truce.
Over the last 24 hours, at least 91 Palestinians were killed and more than 600 wounded while attempting to get aid in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. This includes 54 people killed while awaiting food in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing on Wednesday, the ministry said.
That figure is expected to rise further, as many of those killed or wounded were brought to isolated, smaller hospitals in northern Gaza and have not yet been counted.
The Israeli military said Palestinians surrounded aid trucks and the Israeli military fired warning shots, but that it isn’t aware of any injuries stemming from Israeli fire. A security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said the gunfire came from within the crowd and altercations between Palestinians attempting to access aid.
The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. Fifty hostages are still in captivity in Gaza, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas government. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
