U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday as efforts to broker a Gaza truce falter and international concerns over hunger in the enclave intensify.
Shortly after Witkoff arrived, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!”
The trip came alongside a sharp U.S. diplomatic move. The State Department announced sanctions on officials from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, accusing them of undermining peace efforts. Targeted individuals will be barred from entering the United States, though the department did not name them.
The Palestinian Authority did not immediately respond. The measures mark another sign that Washington is leaning toward Israel’s position, even as European allies like France, Britain, and Canada signal plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
Talks and Aid in Crisis
A senior Israeli official said after Thursday’s meeting that an understanding with Washington is forming to shift from partial hostage releases to a plan for the release of all hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, and the demilitarization of Gaza.
Details remain unclear. The official said Israel and the U.S. would continue coordinating to increase humanitarian aid while military operations persist.
Witkoff is expected to visit Gaza on Friday to inspect food deliveries. The White House said he will brief Trump immediately after the visit on a final plan to speed aid into the territory.
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Starvation and Paused Fighting
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a horrifying new stage: people are literally starving to death. Since the war started last October, health officials have reported 156 deaths from hunger, and the most gut-wrenching part is that at least 90 of them were children.
Under pressure from global outrage over images of emaciated children, Israel recently announced 10-hour daily pauses in parts of Gaza and designated secure routes for aid convoys. The United Nations said these steps have helped increase food deliveries, but the volume remains far from sufficient.
Residents face threats from both Israeli forces and looters while seeking aid. One man from Deir Al-Balah described the desperation: “I have tried several times to grab a sack of flour. The only time I managed, someone with a knife froze me in the street and took it away.”
Ceasefire Standoff
Indirect ceasefire talks in Doha ended in deadlock last week. Israel rejected Hamas’ latest amendments to a U.S.-backed 60-day truce proposal that would involve releasing some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, people inside Gaza are putting serious pressure on Hamas to cut a deal. We’re talking about maybe 50 hostages left, and the awful truth is that only 20 of them are thought to be alive. So you have families of the hostages protesting right outside Netanyahu’s office, begging him to just stop the war.
Netanyahu, however, is doubling down, vowing to crush Hamas completely. Adding fuel to the fire, two of his top ministers are now pushing to annex the West Bank—a move that’s all but killing any hope for a two-state solution.
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International Response
So you have all these mediators—from Europe, Qatar, Egypt—getting behind a new idea from France and Saudi Arabia. Their plan is pretty straightforward: get Hamas to give up power in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, all as part of a path to a two-state deal. The problem? The people who actually have to agree aren’t on board. Israel won’t hear of the PA being in Gaza, and Hamas says they’re not laying down their weapons.
Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, visiting Israel this week, warned that the country risks isolation if it rejects steps toward a two-state solution.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in Israel. Gaza health authorities say more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military offensive.
