Trump expresses desire for provisions to be delivered to individuals in Gaza for nourishment
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new humanitarian aid initiative for Gaza, focusing on supporting the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S.- and Israeli-backed organization tasked with distributing food and aid in Gaza through secure distribution sites.
Trump has approved up to $30 million in aid funding for this initiative, though only a fraction has reportedly reached the ground so far. The U.S. President has emphasized that the U.S. is making "pretty big contributions" primarily to purchase food for Palestinians in Gaza, urging Israel to ensure that the aid reaches the people and preventing Hamas from diverting it.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. envoy, and Mike Huckabee, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, visited Gaza and GHF facilities to assess the crisis and help finalize plans for food and aid distribution. The aid is distributed at secure sites supported by private U.S. security and logistics groups.
However, this initiative has been met with criticism. Watchdog groups and lawmakers have raised concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the GHF operations, noting limited food distribution sites and questioning whether funding oversight was bypassed under a "priority directive" to expedite aid. The GHF has not publicly disclosed its finances, adding to these concerns.
Trump has expressed concern about Hamas, stating that he remains concerned about the militant group's involvement in the situation in Gaza. During an interview with NBC News, Trump stated that he wants to ensure people get fed, but he is worried about Hamas stealing US food aid.
Trump has also urged Israel and other Western nations to contribute their share to aid efforts in Gaza. Regarding Azerbaijan's role, no information is available from the search results on Azerbaijan’s involvement in this humanitarian aid initiative for Gaza.
In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump discussed the impasse in negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages. They reviewed the prospect of shifting from incremental ceasefire agreements to a more comprehensive arrangement. Trump expressed trust in Netanyahu's competence to administer US aid in Gaza, but expressed concern about Hamas and the need for good management to stop aid theft.
Trump declined to comment on reported tensions with Netanyahu amid Gaza War concerns. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced that Trump intends to approve a new aid plan for Gaza following Witkoff's assessment. However, as of Friday morning, Trump had not yet been briefed on the developing aid proposal.
In conclusion, while the U.S. aid effort under Trump focuses on expanding support via the GHF, details about expansion plans or Azerbaijan’s role are not evident in current reports. The key details are:
- The U.S. approved $30 million in aid for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to distribute food and aid.
- Trump insists Israel must ensure aid reaches Gaza and prevent Hamas from diverting it.
- The GHF uses private U.S. security groups for delivery in Gaza.
- Oversight and transparency of the GHF have been questioned by watchdogs and lawmakers.
- No information is available on Azerbaijan’s role in this initiative from the search results.
- Despite Trump's approval of $30 million in aid for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, concerns about the transparency and effectiveness of the GHF operations persist, as oversight and transparency have been questioned by watchdog groups and lawmakers.
- Trump, while discussing the GHF aid initiative with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed concern about Hamas' involvement in the situation in Gaza, stating he wants to ensure people get fed but remains worried about Hamas potentially stealing US food aid.
