Trump’s Mideast Envoy Heads to Israel Amid Global Fury Over Gaza Hunger

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/world/middleeast/trump-envoy-israel-gaza.html

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Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, was set to depart for Israel on Wednesday amid mounting international anger over the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the matter.

Both spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to publicly discuss Mr. Witkoff’s trip, his first known visit to Israel since May, when the United States negotiated the release of the last living American-Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza. This time Mr. Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel under grimmer circumstances.

Widespread hunger has gripped Gaza’s roughly two million Palestinians, many of whom are displaced after nearly two years of war. The World Food Program says that more than one in three Palestinians are not eating for multiple consecutive days. And Gaza health officials say dozens of people, including children, have died of starvation in recent weeks.

This week, Mr. Trump publicly acknowledged starvation in Gaza, breaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who has denied that it is occurring. “That’s real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can’t fake that,” Mr. Trump said on Monday.

Mr. Witkoff is the Trump administration’s lead on negotiations over a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. But those talks stalled last week.

The devastating conditions in the territory have ignited a wave of global outrage at Israel over the past several days. France announced it would recognize Palestinian statehood, a move followed — albeit conditionally — by Britain. A coalition of about 30 countries, including some of Israel’s traditional allies, called last week for an immediate end to the war.