Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Ambassador Mike Huckabee/X
Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visit the U.S.-launched Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s aid site in Rafah, southern Gaza, Aug. 1, 2025
(JNS) — A delegation led by President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee went into Gaza on Friday to inspect humanitarian aid efforts at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in Rafah, the U.S. envoy announced.
“This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites,” Huckabee posted on X. “We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat! (286 kB)”
In another post, Huckabee wrote, “Went into Gaza today & observed humanitarian food program by US launched GHF. Hamas hates GHF b/c it gets food to ppl w/o it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months. (493 kB).”
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation released a statement on the Gaza by the American delegation, which said the visitors observed food aid being distributed to civilians at a GHF secure distribution site.
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” said GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay. “Today he sent his envoy to serve as his eyes and ears on the ground, reflecting his deep concern and commitment to doing what’s right. We were honored to brief his delegation, share our operations and demonstrate the impact of delivering 100 million meals to those who need them most.”
Meanwhile, the IDF announced that troops from the Kfir Infantry Brigade, operating under the 36th Armored Division, are active in southern Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip.
In recent weeks, the forces have been working to strengthen operational control along the Magen Oz Corridor, which runs through Khan Yunis and divides the city into eastern and western sections.
During the operation, soldiers uncovered a weapons storage site containing a large cache of fragmentation grenades, explosive devices, mortar shells and sniper rifles.
In a separate mission, Kfir troops, acting on precise intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504, apprehended terrorists deep inside Khan Yunis. Additionally, with support from the Combat Engineering Corps, forces located and dismantled a tunnel route several hundred meters in length in the Khan Yunis region.
Meanwhile, troops from the Givati Infantry Brigade, operating under the 162nd Armored Division, are conducting operations in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza as part of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.”
In coordination with Yahalom combat engineer special operators, the forces eliminated a terrorist cell hiding inside a tunnel located roughly five kilometers (3 miles) from the Ashkelon–Sderot railway line. The two-kilometer-long tunnel included living quarters and a cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and explosive devices.
According to the IDF, Givati Brigade forces have so far eliminated multiple terrorists in the area and dismantled significant terrorist infrastructure above and below ground.
On Thursday, the IDF’s 98th Paratroopers Division concluded its mission in the northern Gaza Strip following months of intense fighting; it is now preparing for additional operations.
Over the course of the campaign, troops from the division conducted deep combat operations in key Hamas strongholds, including in Khan Yunis and in Gaza City’s Shejaiya and Zeitoun neighborhoods.
