President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel Thursday as international outrage grows over Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis, where nearly 22 months of war have left Palestinians starving under Israeli bombardment.
The diplomatic mission comes after Gaza’s civil defense reported Israeli forces killed dozens late Wednesday when crowds rushed an aid convoy – the latest in near-daily shootings of desperate civilians seeking food. An AFP journalist saw bullet-riddled bodies at al-Shifa hospital, where grieving relative Jameel Ashour described chaotic scenes as hungry Palestinians surged toward trucks.
“People saw food falling from trucks and rushed hoping to get some. Then the soldiers opened fire,” Ashour told AFP at the overcrowded morgue. Israel’s military admitted firing “warning shots” but denied knowledge of casualties.
With ceasefire talks collapsed and 49 Israelis still held hostage by Hamas since the October 2023 attacks that killed 1,219 people, Witkoff will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss aid delivery and Gaza’s future. Over 60,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s retaliatory campaign, with UN agencies now reporting famine conditions and starvation deaths.
The visit exposes growing tensions between Trump and Netanyahu. While remaining Israel’s strongest defender globally, Trump this week broke ranks by acknowledging Gaza faces “real starvation” – contradicting Netanyahu’s claims that hunger reports are exaggerated.
International pressure is mounting, with Canada becoming the latest Western nation to announce plans recognizing Palestinian statehood, drawing angry Israeli rebukes. Germany’s top diplomat also arrived Thursday for crisis talks as global condemnation grows over images of emaciated Gazan children.
Even Trump’s MAGA supporters appear divided, with some conservative Americans questioning unconditional support for Israel’s campaign. The envoy may visit US-backed food distribution sites during his trip, though hopes for breakthrough remain dim with Hamas rejecting current negotiation terms.
As Gaza’s health ministry begged civilians not to loot a medical supplies convoy Thursday, Israeli strikes reportedly killed 32 more people across the territory. With access restricted, casualty figures cannot be independently verified, but UN agencies warn the world is witnessing famine unfold in real time.
Witkoff’s mission represents Trump’s last-ditch effort to salvage his administration’s Middle East legacy amid collapsing ceasefire prospects and unprecedented global isolation for Israel. With both sides entrenched and Gaza’s civilians paying the highest price, the envoy faces near-impossible odds of achieving progress before November’s US elections.
