US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrives at aid distribution site in Rafah as starvation crisis deepens

United States special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff has arrived at a controversial US-backed food aid site in Gaza as the starvation crisis in the enclave deepens.

An Israeli source told CNN Friday that Witkoff had arrived at the aid site, which is run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GFH).

On Thursday, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee would travel to Gaza Friday “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.”

Witkoff and Huckabee would “brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region,” she said, adding that the White House will provide more details “once that plan is approved and agreed on by the president of the United States.”

This marks Witkoff’s second trip to Gaza. Shortly after Trump took office in January, Witkoff visited the enclave, becoming the first US official to do so in more than a decade.

This is a developing story and will be updated.