President Trump said he’s working on getting food to Gazans, saying it’s something that should have already happened a “long time ago.”
“We want to help people. We want to help them live. We want to get people fed,” Mr. Trump told Axios Friday.
Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited Gaza for five hours Friday after meeting with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation.
“Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with [the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation] and other agencies,” Mr. Witkoff wrote on X. “The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
The president told Axios that he’s concerned about starvation in Gaza and blamed Hamas for stealing aid and selling it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that there was no starvation in Gaza, a claim Mr. Trump said he disagreed with.
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The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been escalating, with Israel and the terrorist group blaming each other for shortages of food and other necessities.
Mr. Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social that the fastest way to solve the situation “is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Huckabee met with Mr. Netanyahu Thursday to push for more aid to Gaza and a lasting ceasefire.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing Thursday that any plans to help Gazans will be shared once finalized.
Mr. Witkoff said last week that ceasefire talks have ceased due to “the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
He added, “While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”
Reuters reported that Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas over its latest amendments to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire deal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel has said it may annex parts of Gaza if no truce is reached.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.