U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on 1 August became the first high-profile American official to enter Gaza since the war began, spending more than five hours at a U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food distribution site in Rafah. Witkoff, accompanied by Ambassador Mike Huckabee and escorted by Israeli troops, said the trip was intended to give President Donald Trump “a clear understanding” of conditions and to help shape a plan to expand deliveries of food and medical supplies. The visit comes as the United Nations reports that more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire while queueing for aid since the GHF system replaced UN-run distributions in late May. Medics said Israeli forces shot dead at least 12 more people waiting for assistance near the Nitsarim corridor early on 2 August, underscoring warnings from UN agencies and Human Rights Watch that the militarised aid points have become “death traps”. GHF says it has delivered 100 million meals and protects its sites better than the UN, a claim rejected by humanitarian groups that cite dozens of recent malnutrition deaths and a looming famine among Gaza’s 2.2 million residents. Israel, under mounting international pressure, said 200 aid trucks were distributed on 31 July and that allied countries have begun limited airdrops, but the UN says thousands more trucks are still blocked at the border. Talks on a 60-day cease-fire and hostage release remain stalled.