SOURCE: The Independent
LIVE – Updated at 07:50
Donald Trump is expected to approve a new Gaza humanitarian aid plan on Friday after his special envoy visits the besieged enclave, the White House has said.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will enter Gaza today to “hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground”.
The two held a “very productive” meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials to discuss urgent humanitarian assistance for Gaza.
Over 100 people have been killed, including 91 aid-seekers, in the last 24 hours ending Thursday, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said.
The toll is expected to rise further as many of those killed or wounded were brought to isolated, smaller hospitals in northern Gaza and have not yet been counted.
Since the war began, the ministry has reportedly recorded 156 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 90 children.
The death toll in Gaza has now reached more than 60,000, according to local officials.
Gaza-Israel latest: Key points
- White House says Trump envoy Witkoff to travel to Gaza on Friday
- Trump demands Hamas surrender and release the hostages
- Trump’s envoy meets Netanyahu for Gaza aid
France begins fresh humanitarian air drops over Gaza
07:50 , Shweta Sharma
France has launched a fresh humanitarian airdrop operation to deliver critical food aid to the Gaza Strip, starting today.
The mission will see 40 tons of aid dropped over several days, part of a high-stakes military effort aimed at reaching Palestinians in areas cut off from conventional relief.
The French military confirmed that four flights will each deliver 10 tons of food, using a single aircraft taking off from Jordan, as it did during a similar operation in April 2024 that saw France, alongside other nations, deliver 110 tons of food to Gaza.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday that France is sending four flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza from Jordan.
“This is emergency aid but still not sufficient” in the face of this “revolting” situation, Mr Barrot told broadcaster Franceinfo.