WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will go Friday to the Gaza Strip to inspect food distribution sites, the White House said Thursday.
“Tomorrow, Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling 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,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt said Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had a “very productive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials Thursday in Israel.
“The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region,” she added.
The White House will provide more details once that plan is approved and agreed on by Trump, she said.
When asked about reports that negotiations with Hamas “might not be” continuing, Leavitt echoed Trump and said the “quickest way” to end the conflict is for Hamas to “surrender, to release all of the hostages and to end this conflict.”
“And that’s what the President wants to see. He’s made that very clear,” she added.
Regarding Trump’s position on recognizing Palestine, Leavitt said the president “expressed his displeasure and his disagreement” with the leaders of France, the UK and Canada on their intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
“He feels as though that’s rewarding Hamas at a time where Hamas is the true impediment to a ceasefire and the release of all of the hostages,” she added.
