On Thursday, Witkoff arrived in Israel for an undisclosed visit, during which he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Channel 12, the private Israeli news channel, reported that Witkoff would visit one of the aid distribution centers of the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Gaza on Friday.
The White House announced earlier Thursday that Witkoff would hold field meetings in the Gaza Strip on Friday, and that a new plan for distributing food aid would be adopted after he submitted his report to Trump.
Hamas said in its statement that "Witkoff's visit to Gaza is a propaganda show to contain the mounting anger over the US-Israeli partnership in starving our people in the Strip." It added that Witkoff "sees in Gaza only what the occupation wants him to see, and views the ongoing tragedy through misguided Israeli eyes."
She continued: "He will certainly not be informed about the work of the guillotine of the hungry, which is called the 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation', and how it prepares the killing scene for the Zionist war machine."
Hamas considered that "the White House's acknowledgment of the Gaza famine after denying it, without condemning the occupation that caused it, amounts to exonerating the perpetrator and providing political cover for the continuation of the most heinous crime in modern history."
"Final plan" for distributing aid
In this context, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said in a press briefing on Thursday that Witkoff held a "productive" meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel today (Thursday) to discuss the latest developments in Gaza.
She added: "Tomorrow (Friday), Special Representative Witkoff and (US Ambassador to Israel Mike) Huckabee will travel to Gaza to inspect current distribution points, develop a plan for distributing additional food aid, and meet with the people of Gaza to see firsthand the dire situation in the region."
"Special Representative Witkoff will brief the President (Trump) upon the conclusion of his visit on the final plan for distributing aid and food in the region," Levitt continued.
Channel 12, a private Israeli news outlet, reported that Witkoff's visit to one of the aid distribution centers run by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Gaza aimed to "gaze up close at hand at the difficult humanitarian situation in Gaza, particularly the hunger that has spread to many areas."
The channel added that "Wittkopf's need to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza stems not only from concern for the Palestinians in the Strip, but also from growing popular and political pressure in the United States."
Palestinians assert that the aid distribution mechanism through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been ongoing since May 27 with Israeli support, aims to gather them and force them to leave their lands, paving the way for the reoccupation of Gaza.
Since the launch of this mechanism, 1,330 Palestinian martyrs and more than 8,818 wounded have arrived at hospitals, as a result of the Israeli occupation army's repeated shooting of Palestinians waiting for aid, according to the Ministry of Health.
On Sunday, the Israeli occupation army announced its "permission" to airdrop limited humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the initiation of what it called a "tactical suspension of military activities" in specific areas of Gaza to allow the passage of aid.
International organizations considered Israel's move to be "promoting the illusion of aid" and "media deception," as its army continues to use starvation as a weapon against Palestinian civilians by closing the crossings to aid since last March.
With American support, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
The genocide left more than 207,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 9,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
