On Friday, amid rising international scrutiny of the US- and Israel-supported aid distribution system, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee conducted a visit to Gaza.
Witkoff reported spending five hours on the ground, where he assessed humanitarian conditions and engaged in discussions with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
In a statement posted on X, Witkoff emphasized the goal of the trip: “to provide President Donald Trump with a first-hand understanding of the crisis in Gaza and assist in formulating a targeted aid strategy focused on food and medical supplies.”
Ambassador Huckabee, who joined Witkoff on the visit, described the US-Israeli aid mission as “a remarkable achievement.”
He later posted photos of the visit, noting the objective was to gather firsthand insight into GHF’s operations, which have come under criticism for failing to mitigate the crisis effectively and for recurring civilian casualties near aid distribution centers due to IDF gunfire.
“We received briefings from [the IDF] and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!” Huckabee said.
In a since-deleted tweet, he claimed Gazans “love Trump,” The Telegraph reported.
Huckabee claimed Palestinians fondly refer to “one of the few” remaining six-story buildings in Rafah as “Trump Tower.” He also said, “They love @realDonaldTrump & believe he is helping.”
On his personal X account, Huckabee added: “Hamas hates GHF [because] it gets food to [people without] it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months.”
Witkoff reportedly held conversations with both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following his visit to Gaza.
He also made a stop at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where he placed a written note and signed the guest book. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Witkoff wrote: “I pray for the hostages!! And an end to the war.”
Meanwhile, Trump told the Axios news site on Friday that he was working on a plan to “get people fed” in Gaza.
“We want to help people. We want to help them live,” he said. “It is something that should have happened a long time ago.”
He declined to share specifics about the upcoming humanitarian plan the White House has promised to unveil soon. It remains uncertain whether the plan will involve an expansion of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) or the development of an entirely new aid mechanism.
He also noted that he had not yet received a full briefing from Witkoff regarding his Gaza visit but remarked that Witkoff was “doing great work.”
When asked about an Israeli official’s claim on Thursday that the U.S. and Israel had agreed to move forward with a comprehensive strategy to end the Gaza war and secure the release of hostages—following another breakdown in phased negotiations last week—Trump replied simply: “You will see soon.”
During a phone interview with a news outlet, former President Donald Trump accused Hamas of stealing and reselling humanitarian aid that is being sent into Gaza.
Earlier on Friday, in a separate interview with NBC, Trump expressed hope that Israel would manage the aid distribution more effectively to prevent Hamas from intercepting supplies meant for starving civilians.
Trump described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a competent person,” but emphasized, “We want to make sure people get fed.” He added that “good management” would be key to stopping aid theft.
When asked by reporters about Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s labeling of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, Trump said, “It’s terrible what’s occurring there. It’s a terrible thing. People are very hungry.”
Trump also repeated his claim that the U.S. has contributed $60 million to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), though official figures currently place the amount at $30 million.
“The United States gave $60 million for food, and it’s a shame because I don’t see the results of it,” he said. “We gave it to people who, in theory, are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it. Part of the problem is that Hamas is taking the money and they’re taking the food.”
