Trump tells Axios he's working on Gaza plan "to get people fed"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Trump and Netanyahu at the White House. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump told Axios in a brief phone call on Friday that he's working on a plan to "get people fed" in Gaza.
What he's saying: "We want to help people. We want to help them live. We want to get people fed. It is something that should have happened long time ago," Trump said.
- While Trump made clear he's concerned about reports of starvation in Gaza, he blamed Hamas for stealing and then selling aid that had entered the enclave.
Driving the news: White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited aid centers in Gaza on Friday run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is backed by the U.S. and Israel.
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump planned to approve a new Gaza aid plan after Witkoff made the visit and briefed him on what he learned.
- Trump told Axios that as of Friday morning he hadn't yet been briefed by Witkoff — whom he said was "doing great work."
- Trump declined to provide details of the aid plan he is working on. It's unclear if it will involve more backing for the GHF or for other aid mechanisms.
The big picture: Trump has said in recent days that he thinks there is starvation in Gaza and has committed to increasing U.S. aid.
- At the same time, he said he expects other Western countries and Israel to do their share.
- Israel has come under massive international pressure for limiting the aid into Gaza and channeling it through GHF, which only operates in southern and central Gaza and requires Palestinians to make dangerous journeys to receive food.
State of play: Witkoff met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and they discussed the stalemate in negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal, an Israeli official said in a briefing with reporters.
- The official said the two discussed the possibility of moving from an incremental Gaza deal to a comprehensive agreement.
- Trump declined to comment on that possibility, telling Axios "you will see soon."
The latest: Witkoff wrote on X that he and Huckabee had met with Israeli officials on Thursday, then spent five hours in Gaza on Friday "assessing conditions" and meeting with aid agencies.
- "The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza," he said.
