Donald Trump's envoy Witkoff, US Ambassador Huckabee to inspect food distribution in Gaza

The death toll includes 54 people killed while awaiting food in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing on Wednesday, the Gazan ministry said. (file image)

US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee will inspect food distribution in Gaza on Friday, AP reported.

Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, as the death toll of Palestinians waiting for food and other aid continued to climb.

The White House informed that Witkoff and Huckabee will be inspecting food distribution in Gaza after at least 91 Palestinians were killed and more than 600 wounded while attempting to get aid in the past 24 hours, as per Gaza Health Ministry's claims.

The death toll includes 54 people killed while awaiting food in northern Gaza near the Zikim crossing on Wednesday, the ministry said.
AP reported that the death toll due to starvation and food shortage is expected to rise further as many of those killed or wounded were brought to isolated, undersupplied hospitals in northern Gaza and have not yet been counted.

The Israeli military said Palestinians surrounded aid trucks and the Israeli military fired warning shots into the crowd, but reported no awareness of injuries resulting from Israeli fire.

A security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said the gunfire came from within the crowd and resulted from altercations between Palestinians attempting to access aid.

(With agency inputs)