Trump envoys Witkoff & Kushner expected to visit Israel after US assumes Gaza aid coordination

After unexpectedly unveiling the creation of a new U.S.-led military headquarters in southern Israel to oversee the Gaza ceasefire during Vice President JD Vance’s visit late last month, Washington now appears to be taking the lead on aid distribution as two key envoys prepare to arrive in Israel.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that the U.S. military has taken over responsibility for overseeing humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, relegating Israel to a secondary role.

An official who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity said that after the ceasefire headquarters experienced a chaotic launch, the U.S. shifted direct oversight of humanitarian aid from COGAT – the IDF body previously responsible for facilitating aid – to the new U.S.-led command center.. 

The Post also reported that U.S. officials were frustrated with Israeli restrictions on aid entering Gaza, particularly that Israel was allowing shipments through only two main crossings. Several Western nations have accused Israel of hindering aid delivery to the Strip because of these limitations.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, praised the change, saying: “Israel is blocking the Trump plan’s humanitarian clauses. For us, to have the U.S. actively engaged is very good news.” 

COGAT released a statement acknowledging greater U.S. involvement in distributing the humanitarian aid. 

“The Americans will be integrated into the formulation and implementation of coordination, supervision, and control mechanisms in the context of humanitarian aid, in full cooperation with the Israeli security services.” 

However, an Israeli official told the Post that while “the Americans will take the lead in engaging with the international community on humanitarian matters,” this did not indicate “a transfer of authority or responsibility from COGAT to the Americans.” 

In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the Gaza ceasefire plan, while Israeli media reports that U.S. officials have been visiting Israel more frequently to ensure the agreement remains in place.

On Sunday morning, Kan News reported that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump advisor Jared Kushner are expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to discuss transitioning from phase one to phase two of the Gaza ceasefire. 

Hamas has still not returned all hostage remains, despite the requirement that this be completed within 72 hours of the ceasefire being agreed to by both sides.

Hamas has also engaged in several violations of the agreement, with gunmen approaching IDF positions inside the Yellow Line – including an incident over the weekend in which two terrorists were killed after crossing the line toward Israeli forces.

At the same time, with no clear progress on establishing the International Stabilization Force (ISF) outlined in Trump’s peace proposal – and with several nations still divided over the question of disarming Hamas – the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire remains uncertain.