President Trump sent his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Israel. Why? Because the situation in Gaza is a DISASTER. His visit comes as the death toll among Palestinians waiting for food and essential aid continues to rise. According to the White House, Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee are scheduled to visit Gaza on Friday to oversee food distribution efforts.
In the past 24 hours alone, at least 91 Palestinians have been killed and more than 600 injured while trying to access humanitarian aid, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Thursday. That figure includes 54 people who died near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza while waiting for food on Wednesday. The ministry warned the death toll could climb, as many victims were taken to remote, under-resourced hospitals that have yet to report updated figures.
The Israeli military said it fired warning shots after Palestinians swarmed aid trucks, but claimed it was unaware of any injuries caused by its fire. A security official, speaking anonymously due to military regulations, said the gunfire appeared to come from within the crowd, describing chaotic scuffles among Palestinians desperate to access food.
Scenes of desperation erupted again on Thursday, this time in Zawaida, central Gaza, where airdropped food packages sent crowds into frenzied stampedes. With border crossings largely sealed, aid agencies have resorted to air deliveries. But the drops have triggered chaos, as exhausted, starving civilians scream, fight, and scramble for whatever they can grab.
Eslam al-Telbany, a displaced mother from Jabalia, recalled being attacked and bitten while trying to carry home a sack of flour and a bottle of oil. She dropped the supplies and returned empty-handed. “My children prayed I’d bring food,” she said tearfully. “They haven’t eaten or drunk anything in two days.”
Ahmed al-Khatib said someone stole his bag of flour in the melee. “I broke a tooth trying to hold on,” he added.
Another displaced woman, Rana Attia, said the method of distributing aid felt dehumanizing. “It’s more dignified when we get a text telling us where to collect aid,” she said. “We don’t want to chase falling food under the scorching sun.”
Despite the dramatic airdrops, the scale of aid remains far below needs. Humanitarian groups say Gaza requires 500–600 aid trucks daily. On Wednesday, Israel allowed in just 270 trucks, while 32 pallets were dropped by air, according to the Israeli body overseeing aid coordination.
Amid growing global outrage, Israel announced new steps over the weekend to allow more aid into Gaza. But international organizations warned it may be too late. After over two months of a near-total blockade, what they call a “worst-case scenario of famine” is now unfolding.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arrived in Israel on Thursday for a two-day visit that includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Once a steadfast ally, Germany has grown increasingly vocal, demanding Israel do more to ease Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and urging a ceasefire.
Although Berlin hasn’t joined France, Britain, or Canada in pledging recognition of a Palestinian state this fall, Wadephul reiterated Germany’s position that only a two-state solution can secure peace for both peoples. “Recognition must come at the end of a process,” he said. “But that process must begin now.”
Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in Israel Thursday afternoon to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The trip marks the first direct engagement between the two since both the U.S. and Israel withdrew negotiation teams from Qatar a week ago. Witkoff said Hamas has shown “a lack of desire” to reach a truce.
Earlier Thursday, former President Trump posted on Truth Social: “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
Trump dispatched Witkoff to the region “to save lives and end this crisis,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who described the former president as “a humanitarian with a big heart.”
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping 251. Approximately 50 hostages remain in captivity, with about 20 believed to still be alive.
In response, Israel has launched a massive military campaign in Gaza, which the Health Ministry says has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians. The ministry, run by Gaza’s Hamas-led government, does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths but remains the U.N.’s primary source for casualty data..