White House announces Huckabee, Witkoff to visit Gaza amid 'dire' starvation crisis
The trip comes after both U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are slated to visit Gaza Friday, after both met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday in Israel to discuss ways to provide food and aid to Gaza.
"Special envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground," Leavitt told reporters Thursday. "The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region."
"President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart, and that's why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis," Leavitt said.
A Palestinian child faces life-threatening malnutrition due to Israeli attacks and blockade, on July 21, 2025. (Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Leavitt's comments come as President Donald Trump has pushed back against Netanyahu's repeated statements denying a starvation crisis in Gaza.
For example, Netanyahu flat out rejected claims there is any starvation crisis in Gaza in a social media post Monday.
"There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals," Netanyahu said in a Monday X post. "We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They shall be there no more."
When asked if he agreed with the Israeli prime minister, Trump appeared to cast doubt on Netanyahu's assessment of the situation.
HAMAS PUSHES BACK ON TRUMP AND WITKOFF'S CRITICISMS, DEMANDS US PRESSURE ISRAEL
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee places a note given to him from President Donald Trump in the cracks of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray, during Huckabee's visit to the holy site in the old city of Jerusalem on April 18, 2025. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images)
"Based on television … those children look very hungry," Trump said Monday in Scotland. "But we’re giving a lot of money and a lot of food, and other nations are now stepping up. …Some of those kids are — that's real starvation stuff."
Trump also pledged to work with European allies and establish "food centers" in Gaza to address the issue.
Meanwhile, ceasefire talks in Qatar recently crumbled, and the U.S. and Israel claimed afterward that Hamas wasn't interested in finding an agreement.
Trump addressed the ongoing conflict Thursday, pushing for Hamas to surrender and release hostages immediately in order to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"The fastest way to end the humanitarian crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" the president said in a post on Truth Social Thursday.
ISRAEL, HAMAS TALKS DRAG AS AID GROUP CHAIR TELLS UN TO STOP ACTING LIKE THE ‘MAFIA’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump shake hands following a meeting in the White House, in Washington, April 7, 2025. (Kevin Mohatt/Reuters)
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