Trump’s envoy arrives in Israel as Gaza

The death toll among the Palestinians waiting for food and another help in Gaza continued to climb when President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, came to a visit to the region. Witkoff landed in Israel on Thursday, and the White House said he and the United States ambassador Mike Huckabee You will visit Gaza Friday to inspect aid operations.

Witkoff is expected to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and a possible fire between Israel and Hamas, an official who spoke under the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues to News.

This would be the first meeting between Witkoff and Netanyahu since both Israel and the United States called their home negotiation teams since Qatar a week ago. Witkoff said at that time that Hamas showed “a lack of desire” to reach a truce.

In the last 24 hours, at least 91 Palestinians were killed and more than 600 injured while trying to obtain help in Gaza, according to the Ministry of Health of Gaza, directed by Hamas. This includes 54 people killed while waiting for food in northern Gaza, near Zikim’s crossing on Wednesday, the ministry said.

This figure is expected to increase even more, since many of those killed or injured were taken to isolated and smaller hospitals in northern Gaza and have not yet been counted.

The Israeli army said the Palestinians surrounded help trucks and the Israeli army shot at the warning shots, but that it is not aware of any injury derived from the Israeli fire. A security official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said the shots came from the crowd and the altercations between the Palestinians who tried to access the aid.

The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapped another 251. Fifty hostages are still captive in Gaza, even around 20 that is believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in cessation -fire or other agreements.

The retaliation offensive of Israel has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under the Hamas government. His count does not distinguish between militants and civilians. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable data source about victims.

In Jerusalem, about 50 people, including the families of some of the approximately 50 hostages that are still held in Gaza, demonstrated Thursday in front of the Netanyahu office asking for the end of the war.

Israel says that it will facilitate the entry of more help in Gaza

Under strong international pressure, Israel announced a series of measures during the weekend to facilitate the entry of more international help to Gaza, but humanitarian workers say that much more is needed.

The Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating humanitarian aid in Gaza said that 270 help trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday, and 32 aid palettes were transmitted in the strip. That amount is much lower than 500 to 600 trucks per day that help organizations say they are necessary.

The international community has accumulated criticism of Israel for the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. International organizations said that Gaza has been on the edge of famine during the last two years, but that recent developments, including a complete help block for 2 1/2 months, mean that the “worst hunger cases is currently being developed in Gaza.”

The situation has led some main Israeli rights groups to accuse Israel to commit genocide in Gaza.

“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” Yuli Novak, director of the Israeli human rights group B tselem on Monday.

“The systematic destruction of the medical care system, the denial of access to food, the blockade of medial evacuations and the use of humanitarian aid to advance the military objectives indicate a clear pattern of behavior, a pattern that reveals intention,” said Guy Shalev of the doctors of the Israeli group for Human Rights.

Israel vehemently denied the position.

“It has no foundation,” said Israeli government spokesman David Mencer. “There is no intention, key to the load of genocide.”

Additional pressure on Israel and Hamas while sanctioning the Palestinian authority

In recent days, the main allies France, Great Britain And Canada has broken from the United States by saying that they are making plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Mr. Trump said Canada’s announcement On Wednesday “it will make it very difficult” for the United States to reach a commercial agreement with its northern neighbor.

“Guau! Canada has just announced that it is supporting the status for Palestine,” Trump said in his publication about Truth Social around midnight. “That will make it very difficult for us to make a commercial agreement with them. Oh, Canada!”

On Tuesday, the Arab countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, jointly asked Hamas to put an end to their government in Gaza and disarm, reported the News news agency. The countries of the European Union and the Arab League were among the 17 nations that supported a seven -page document agreed at a United Nations conference on a solution of two states for Israel and the Palestinians.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end his government in Gaza and deliver his weapons to the Palestinian authority, with international commitment and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state,” said the statement, according to News.

On Thursday, the United States revoked visas for Palestinian officials linked to the Palestinian authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, marking a greater deterioration of its relations with the United States. He did not specify what officials would be sanctioned.

The State Department said that organizations had violated long -standing agreements so as not to undermine the peace process or globalize the conflict through international courts. He accused them of inciting violence and supporting attackers and their families.

Some of the recent ads of plans to recognize Palestinian status have been based on reforming the Palestinian authority, which is considered widely corrupt and has little support among the Palestinians. The PA has also faced Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza.

The OP, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people, supervises the Palestinian authority supported by the West, which exercises limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank occupied by Israel.

The member of the OLP Mustafa Barghouti described the United States an answer to the nations that recognized Palestine and said he showed that the United States could not be a neutral mediator in the peace process.

“It is time for everyone to, including the Palestinian authority, which together with the PLO face the sanctions of the United States, to realize that it is useless to bet on the illusion that the United States can act as a mediator,” he said in an interview. “The United States is completely biased to Israel and is complicit in its war crimes.”

Debora Patta contributed to this report.

• Palestinian authority
• Hamas
• Israel
• Gaza pull
• Bank