In an interview broadcast Thursday evening on NBC News, President Donald Trump weighed in on the unfolding crisis in Gaza.
He spoke about the upcoming visit planned for Friday by his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who are scheduled to travel to Gaza to assess conditions on the ground.
“We want to make sure people get fed,” Trump said, expressing interest in hearing the findings Witkoff and Huckabee would bring back after their trip.
When asked if he believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can effectively oversee the distribution of American aid in Gaza, Trump responded, “he’s certainly a competent person,” though he acknowledged ongoing worries about Hamas intercepting supplies.
“Good management will stop that. Hopefully, the Israelis will provide that,” he told NBC News, underscoring the importance of strong oversight.
Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Witkoff and Huckabee would be entering Gaza to get a firsthand view of the situation and to work out a new framework for delivering humanitarian assistance.
“I know the topic of Israel is on everyone’s mind. I have an update from Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who I got off the phone with this morning. Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials today in Israel on the topic of delivering much-needed food and aid to Gaza,” Leavitt told reporters during her press briefing.
“President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart, and that’s why he sent Special Envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis. Tomorrow, Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear first-hand about this dire situation on the ground. The Special Envoy and the Ambassador will brief the President immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region, and we will provide more details for all of you once that plan is approved and agreed on by the President of the United States,” she continued.
Later in the day, when asked to comment on Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s suggestion that the events in Gaza amount to genocide, Trump shared his concerns.
“Oh, it’s terrible what’s occurring there, yeah. It’s a terrible thing. People are very hungry. You know, the United States gave $60 million for food. And it’s a shame because nobody, you know, 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. But part of the problem is Hamas is taking the money and they’re taking the food,” Trump said.
“But we gave $60 million a couple of weeks ago. Nobody said anything about it. Nobody said thank you. But I didn’t need to thank you. I just wanted the people to get fed. And we’re helping out financially with that situation,” he added.
