WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumpis sending two top White House officials to Gaza on Aug. 1 to inspect food distribution centers and meet with Gazans amid intensifying global scrutiny over thehunger crisis in the territory. Steven Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, and U.S. Ambassador to IsraelMike Huckabeewill "secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation" during the rare trip, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on July 31. Following their visit, Witkoff and Huckabee are expected to meet with Trump to approve the administration's final plan for food and aid distribution in the region amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. More:'Every ounce of food': Trump presses Israel on starvation in Gaza; 'children look very hungry' Witkoff and Huckabee spoke to Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahuon the morning of July 31 about delivering food and aid to the area, Leavitt said. "It's terrible what's occurring there. It's a terrible thing. People are very hungry," Trump told reporters. "You know, the United States gave $60 million for food and it's a shame, because I don't see the results of it. And we gave it to people that in theory are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it." More:One meal a day. $20 for an egg. Choosing which kid gets fed. Starvation stalks Gaza More:Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine An alert issued this week by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification raised the prospect of a famine unfolding in Gaza. The United Nations' World Food Programme said a third of Gaza's population does not eat for several days at a time and that one in four Gazans are "enduring famine-like conditions." The Hamas-run health ministry, the chief source of health data in Gaza, said more than 100 people have died from malnutrition in recent days. Trump broke with Netanyahu earlier this weekby saying he disagrees with the Israeli prime minister's claim that no starvation is taking place among the people of Gaza, and he urged Israel to let more food into the enclave. Asimages of emaciated children in Gazahave alarmed the world, Netanyahu denied Israel is conducting a starvation campaign, calling such accusations a "bold-faced lie" and even rejecting that starvation is occurring. Trump also said July 31 that Witkoff will later travel to Russia ahead of a new 10-day deadline the president set for the country to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face U.S. tariffs and other penalties. "Going to Israel, and then he's going to Russia, believe it or not," Trump said. Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trump sends Witkoff, Huckabee to Gaza amid hunger crisis
