The U.S. envoy to Gaza, Steve Witkoff, visited the enclave on Friday and promised to increase humanitarian aid amid rising international pressure on Israel due to the deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Before the visit, Human Rights Watch criticized the aid distribution system managed by Israel and the U.S. through the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation," describing the system as having become a "death trap" for the residents of the enclave, where a war has been ongoing for more than two years between Israel and Hamas.

The United Nations warned that the Gaza Strip is facing the risk of widespread famine, especially as more than two million people primarily rely on food and medical aid. The Civil Defense in Gaza reported that 22 Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire on Friday, including eight who were waiting for aid distribution, and two of them were killed near a distribution point belonging to the same foundation in the southern part of the enclave.

Commenting on Witkoff's visit, Louay Mahmoud, a resident of Gaza, said, "The visit is just a media stunt, and Israel will not see the real hunger, but will show the narrative it wants." Witkoff explained that the goal of his visit, which lasted more than five hours, was to provide a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and to devise a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the population, according to reports from U.S. media.

In a UN report, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of using the aid distribution system as a means to commit war crimes, stating that the killings targeting Palestinians seeking food are considered war crimes, and that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. It confirmed that the catastrophic humanitarian situation is a direct result of Israel's deliberate obstruction of aid entry and the securing of basic services, with Israeli investigations into civilian casualties near distribution areas.

In the context of aid, several countries have begun conducting air drops of food aid, as footage from Gaza showed residents rushing to the packages dropped from the air in areas like Jabalia. The Jordanian army announced the execution of seven air drops to deliver humanitarian and food aid, with the participation of several countries, and the total cargo since the beginning of operations has reached about 148 tons of essential materials.

Regarding the aid, the Commissioner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, confirmed that the current aid is insufficient, and that six thousand trucks loaded with aid are waiting to enter the enclave. The Fatah movement rejected Hamas's statements attacking Egypt and Jordan, affirming its historical support for the Palestinian people, and warned against some parties exploiting the situation to achieve external interests that harm the Palestinian cause.

In response to Trump's statements, Hamas described the accusation of stealing aid as "false and unfounded," asserting that U.S.-backed Israeli policies are the cause of famine and destruction in Gaza. It called on Washington to support the safe delivery of aid through the United Nations, considering that Trump's claims exonerate the occupation and place the blame on the victim.

In field developments, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released a video of an Israeli hostage named Evitar David, showing him suffering from fatigue and emaciation after being captured during the Nova music festival in October 2023. It is noted that among the 251 hostages, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 believed to have been killed by Israel.

In another context, the Israeli army announced the interception of a missile launched from Yemen, while the Houthis claimed responsibility for the operation, with their spokesperson confirming that the missile targeted Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, explaining that the operation successfully achieved its goal with a hypersonic missile of the type Palestine 2, while explosions were heard in Jerusalem following the missile launch.