A significant diplomatic move unfolded as a Middle East envoy and the U.S. ambassador to Israel embarked on a rare visit to aid sites within Gaza, marking the first such high-level presence in the Palestinian territory in a decade. This critical visit comes against a backdrop of escalating humanitarian concerns and grave accusations leveled against Israeli forces regarding their conduct at aid distribution points.
Pictures captured Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee at a distribution center in Rafah, a southern Gaza city. This particular site is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private Israeli and U.S.-backed organization established to supersede traditional U.N. agencies amidst a rapidly deteriorating food security situation and widespread starvation across the strip.
The immediate objective of this high-profile delegation was to gather firsthand information, with both officials slated to brief President Trump immediately upon their return. The goal of this briefing is to secure presidential approval for a definitive plan aimed at streamlining food and essential aid distribution into the severely blockaded region, addressing the urgent needs of its beleaguered population.
However, the timing of their visit casts a stark shadow, coinciding with two damning reports from the United Nations and Human Rights Watch (HRW). These reports collectively accuse Israel of being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians at these very aid sites, which were paradoxically established by Israel following an extensive 11-week blockade that choked off vital food and supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Specifically, the U.N. detailed that at least 1,370 Palestinians have tragically lost their lives while attempting to secure aid since May 27, when Israel initiated its new distribution strategy led by the U.S.-funded GHF. A staggering 859 of these fatalities occurred in the direct vicinity of GHF sites, with an additional 514 deaths reported along critical food convoy routes, underscoring the perilous conditions faced by civilians.
Concurrently, Human Rights Watch released its own scathing report on the day of Witkoff’s visit, asserting that the Israeli army and private contractors operating the GHF sites have “turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.” HRW condemned these actions, stating that Israeli forces “have routinely opened fire on starving Palestinian civilians in acts that amount to serious violations of international law and war crimes.”
Ambassador Huckabee, prior to his visit, publicly stated his intention to “learn the truth about GHF aid sites,” claiming that “Hamas hates GHF because it gets food to people without it being looted by Hamas.” Yet, an internal U.S. government report from USAID in July, analyzing over 156 incidents between October 2023 and May 2025, found no credible reports of Hamas looting U.S.-funded aid, directly contradicting the ambassador’s assertion.
The humanitarian catastrophe continues to deepen, with a U.N.-backed food security group confirming on Tuesday that a full-blown famine is now unfolding across Gaza. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released a grim report detailing that famine thresholds have been unequivocally met for food consumption across the majority of the besieged territory, signaling an unprecedented level of crisis.
This high-level diplomatic engagement by Trump’s envoy occurs at a crucial juncture in the protracted Gaza conflict, ignited by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. While Trump advocates for increased aid and a ceasefire, the complex dynamics were evident in Witkoff’s prior meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ongoing reliance on the Gaza ministry for casualty data, which does not differentiate combatants from civilians and lacks independent verification, further complicates the understanding of the conflict’s human cost.
