Scoop: Trump envoy Witkoff to brief UN Security Council on Gaza aid plan

• One of the sources said Witkoff was expected to focus primarily on Gaza and on a new aid mechanism proposed by Israel and the U.S. which they claim will allow aid to resume without being controlled by Hamas.
• The UN and all aid organization operating in Gaza rejected the plan, arguing it "contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles." The Trump administration is nonetheless lobbying countries to donate money to the mechanism and the UN to cooperate with it.
• The State Department declined to comment.

The big picture: Witkoff will be the most senior U.S. official to brief the Security Council since President Trump assumed office.

• It's also a rare occasion in which a senior Trump official will engage with China, Russia and the European powers all in the same room.

State of play: The U.S. still doesn't have a permanent ambassador to the UN after Rep. Elise Stefanik withdrew her nomination.

• Trump announced last week that he was removing Mike Waltz as national security adviser nominating him as UN ambassador. Waltz still has a long confirmation process ahead.

Driving the news: Witkoff's informal briefing to the council takes place a day after Trump announced a ceasefire was reached with the Houthis in Yemen.

• The briefing will also take place a few days ahead of Trump's trip to the Middle East, where he will also discuss Iran and Gaza at a summit with leaders of the Gulf states.
• It also comes with Israel continuing to block all supplies of food, water and medicine from entering Gaza, and threatening a massive operation to flatten the enclave and displace its population if no ceasefire is reached before the end of Trump's trip.