With US poised to present new Gaza aid plan, Israel continues combating int’l attacks over claims of ‘famine’

The Trump administration is expected to approve new aid plans for the Gaza Strip on Friday, as Israel continues its intensified efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance while seeking to counter growing international criticism over allegations of starvation in the enclave.

At the start of the week, the Israeli government implemented a sudden shift in its aid policy, approving airdrops and new supply corridors amid a storm of global criticism and diplomatic attacks.

While the Trump administration has largely been supportive of Israel, public remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump this week suggesting that the pictures of starving children coming out of Gaza couldn’t “be faked,” signaled that the U.S. expects Israel to change the situation.

However, on Thursday, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!“

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Witkoff, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Netanyahu had a “very productive meeting.”

On Friday, Witkoff and Huckabee traveled into Gaza to “inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground,” Leavitt stated.

After the visit, the she said they would “brief the president immediately… to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region, and we will provide more details for all of you once that plan is approved and agreed on by the president.”

“President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart, and that's why he sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis,” Leavitt added.

According to Channel 12 News, Israel has now increased the number of aid trucks entering Gaza to over 200 per day.

However, this resulted in the very the scenario Israel has been trying to avoid, with reports indicating that most of the aid delivered over the past week via Egypt had been looted.

On Thursday, a correspondent of the Saudi Al Arabiya network, based in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah reported that, according to his count, each of the 380 aid trucks that entered the Gaza Strip since Sunday were looted. Not a single aid truck reached the warehouses or distribution centers, according to the report.

Other Israeli moves to lessen the diplomatic pressure included an approval for Egypt to build a new water line to the humanitarian zone in al-Muwasi; the reactivation of the electric supply to the desalination plant in Deir al-Balah; and facilitating the entry of additional medical equipment and medicines.

Trump was asked about the humanitarian situation by several reporters during the last days, as Israel has faced criticism and numerous hostile diplomatic moves, including announcements of the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Speaking with NBC, Trump said Netanyahu was “a competent person,” saying he thought “good management” could prevent Hamas from stealing the aid. “Hopefully, the Israelis will provide that,” he added.

“We want to make sure people get fed.”

When asked by reporters about Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s characterization of Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide,” he responded. “It’s terrible what’s occurring there. It’s a terrible thing. People are very hungry.”

“The United States gave $60 million for food, and it’s a shame because I don’t see the results of it. We gave it to people who, in theory, are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it. Part of the problem is that Hamas is taking the money and they’re taking the food,” he reiterated.