Visit of Witkoff to Gaza Supports Humanitarian Aid

• Witkoff and Hakbi visited Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation.
• HAMAS received an unfavorable response from Israel regarding the proposed truce.
• Trump's plan for Gaza aid has not yet been disclosed.

This is reported by RBC Ukraine, Asharq Al-Awsat.

On September 2, 2025, special envoy of Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, along with U.S. envoy in Israel, Mike Hakbi, visited Gaza. The visit took place amid international scrutiny regarding the distribution of aid, reports The Times of Israel.

According to Witkoff, he spent five hours in Gaza, gathering facts about the humanitarian situation. In his post on social media, he noted that the purpose of the visit was to provide Trump with a clear understanding of the situation and to develop a plan for delivering food and medical aid.

Hakbi, who accompanied Witkoff, described the U.S.-Israel initiative as "unprecedented achievement." He reported that the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) delivers more than one million portions daily. Hakbi also emphasized that HAMAS does not support the fund, as it does not allow it to be confiscated.

After the visit, Witkoff met with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump, in turn, stated that he is working on a plan to ensure the safety of people in Gaza, but did not disclose details. It remains unclear whether this will involve the expansion of GHF or the creation of a new mechanism.

At the same time, an official representative of HAMAS stated that Israel's response to the proposal for a truce was "unfavorable." According to him, Israel attacks humanitarian mechanisms, approved by the U.S., which Palestinians have already rejected.

Negotiations regarding the truce between the parties stalled after the U.S. and Israel withdrew their delegations from the negotiations, which were held on July 6. Currently, Washington, according to reports, is more focused on humanitarian diplomacy than on resuming negotiations.

Tags: Middle East/Politics