U.S. Envoy Pushes Gaza Truce Amid Humanitarian Crisis and Rising International Pressure

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to revive stalled Gaza truce talks as famine warnings intensify across the enclave. The meeting came amid mounting criticism of Israel’s military assault and severe food shortages reported by global hunger monitors.

President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social account, urged Hamas to “surrender and release the hostages” as the quickest path to end the crisis. The U.S. State Department simultaneously imposed sanctions on officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), accusing them of undermining peace efforts—marking a policy shift toward stronger backing of Israel compared to Washington’s European allies.

Israel and the U.S. are reportedly aligning on a plan to secure the release of all hostages, disarm Hamas, and demilitarize Gaza, while increasing humanitarian aid deliveries. Witkoff is set to visit Gaza on Friday to assess food distribution efforts before briefing Trump on a final relief strategy.

The humanitarian toll remains severe: Gaza’s health ministry reports 156 starvation-related deaths, including 90 children, since October 2023. Recent Israeli military pauses allowed limited aid convoys, but the United Nations warns supplies are “far from enough.” Protests by families of hostages outside Netanyahu’s office underscore growing domestic pressure to end the war, which has killed over 60,000 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, international momentum for recognizing Palestinian statehood is growing, with France, Britain, and Canada signaling possible recognition—a move Israel rejects as rewarding Hamas for its October 2023 assault that killed 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 hostages being taken into Gaza. Negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt remain deadlocked.