Trump envoy to visit Gaza aid sites as Israel accused of starvation policy

US envoy Steve Witkoff to sojourn assistance organisation sites successful Gaza to measure ‘dire concern connected the ground’: White House

United States President Donald Trump’s peculiar envoy, Steve Witkoff, volition question to Gaza to inspect assistance organisation arsenic unit mounts connected Israel implicit its starvation policy successful the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Witkoff volition question to Gaza connected Friday with US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to inspect assistance organisation arsenic condemnation of Israel grows implicit famine successful Gaza and reports that much than 1,000 desperately bare Palestinians person been killed since May astatine nutrient organisation sites operated by the notorious US- and Israeli-backed GHF.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters connected Thursday that Witkoff would sojourn “distribution sites and unafraid a program to present much nutrient and conscionable with section Gazans to perceive firsthand astir this dire concern connected the ground”.

“The peculiar envoy and the ambassador volition little the president instantly aft their sojourn to o.k. a last program for nutrient and assistance organisation into the region,” Leavitt said.

The sojourn by the apical US envoy comes a time aft much than 50 Palestinians were killed successful Israeli attacks crossed the territory and wellness officials reported the deaths of two much children from starvation, adding to the Gaza Health Ministry’s confirmed decease toll of 154 radical who person died from “famine and malnutrition” – including 89 children – successful caller weeks.

Witkoff met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon aft his accomplishment successful the state connected Thursday, the Israeli leader’s bureau said.

Earlier this week, President Trump contradicted Netanyahu’s insistence that reports of hunger successful Gaza were untrue, with the US person saying the enclave was experiencing “real starvation”.

The United Nations and autarkic experts had warned for months that starvation was taking clasp successful Gaza owed to the Israeli subject blockade connected humanitarian relief, and this week, they said that “famine is present unfolding”.

Angered by Israel’s denial of assistance and ongoing attacks connected Gaza’s population, the United Kingdom, Canada and Portugal this week became the latest Western governments to denote plans to recognise a Palestinian state.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France volition recognise Palestine astatine the UN General Assembly successful September, pursuing Spain, Norway and Ireland’s lead.

Some 142 countries retired of the 193 members of the UN presently recognise oregon program to recognise a Palestinian state.

Following a gathering with Netanyahu successful Jerusalem connected Thursday, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said “the humanitarian catastrophe successful Gaza is beyond imagination”.

“Here, the Israeli authorities indispensable enactment quickly, safely and efficaciously to supply humanitarian and aesculapian assistance to forestall wide starvation from becoming a reality,” helium said.

“I person the content that this has been understood today.”

Once a vibrant centre of Palestinian life, overmuch of Gaza has been pulverised by Israeli bombardments and much than 60,000 Palestinians killed, and astir 150,000 wounded, since October 2023, aft the Hamas attacks connected Israel, which killed an estimated 1,139 people.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies