In a move that made it easier for media around the world to vilify Israel for causing a “famine” in Gaza, a U.N.-affiliated watchdog group secretly changed its metrics to make the requirements for declaring a “famine” much easier.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which was originally developed in 2004 by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Security Analysis Unit and serves as the world’s most widely recognized hunger assessment, normally requires a threshold of 30% of children in an area suffering from acute malnutrition to declare a famine, and uses detailed weight and height measurements to decide whether a child is suffering from acute malnutrition.
But in their July 29 report, the metrics were changed so that 30% became 15% and the measurement for determining malnutrition was mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), a far less reliable guide to malnutrition.
“A chart included in the notice shows less than 8 percent of children in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis suffer from acute malnutrition ‘based on MUAC,’” <a href="https://freebeacon.com/israel/un-backed-famine-watchdog-quietly-changed-standards-easing-way-to-declare-famine-in-gaza/">The Washington Free Beacon</a> reported. &#8220;<a href="https://freebeacon.com/israel/un-backed-famine-watchdog-quietly-changed-standards-easing-way-to-declare-famine-in-gaza/">That figure is 16.5 percent in Gaza City, just above the new 15-percent threshold</a> but well below the 30-percent level the IPC traditionally uses.”
“In all of the famines that have been declared, they&#8217;ve been using the 30-percent global malnutrition measurement, most of which have been based on the weight-for-height metric—which, again, is much harder to collect, much more burdensome, and it&#8217;s 30 percent,” an experienced aid worker told the Free Beacon. “So, this asterisk that&#8217;s been added for Gaza essentially says that they&#8217;re going to allow a 15-percent global malnutrition rate measured by MUAC. &#8230; I think many people would say it&#8217;s like lowering the bar or making it more possible, essentially, to declare whatever it is that they&#8217;re going to declare.”
“If you keep pulling the thread here, you start to understand this is one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated on the world,” former National Security Council staffer Richard Goldberg, who checked humanitarian aid on Capitol Hill for a decade, said. “There is no famine in Gaza—the data thresholds don’t support that claim—and yet we have the United Nations changing the rules to fit the desired political outcome.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee <a href="https://x.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/1955471389001126080">stated</a>, “This is a highly technical report but reveals how UN-Backed Famine Watchdog Quietly Changed Standards, Easing Way To Declare Famine in Gaza to aid Hamas and blame @Israel  and @IsraeliPM.”

Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid continue to enter the Rafah border crossing

UN-Affiliated Hunger Group Quietly Changed Standards So Israel Could Be Accused Of Gaza Famine

famine

Food

Gaza

Global Politics

Israel

United Nations

World

The Israel Defense Forces eliminated five armed terrorists who posed as workers for the World Central Kitchen organization that is helping feed people in Gaza. The World Central Kitchen itself corroborated the IDF claim.
The IDF released the following statement, headed, “Armed Terrorists Operated Under the Cover of a Fake Emblem of an International Organization Placed on a Vehicle in the Gaza Strip &#8211; And Were Eliminated From the Air.”
<blockquote>
The IDF announces that in a targeted airstrike last week, five armed terrorists were eliminated while near a vehicle marked with the emblem of the international humanitarian aid organization “World Central Kitchen” (WCK), despite having no affiliation with the organization, and while posing a threat to our troops.
The terrorists deliberately affixed the emblem and wore yellow vests in an attempt to conceal their activity and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust afforded to aid organizations.
Representatives from COGAT’s Gaza District Coordination and Liaison Office verified the information with the WCK organization, which confirmed that the vehicle seen in the Gaza Strip bearing the organization’s emblem had no connection to its operations.
In recent days, the vehicle was identified in the Deir al-Balah area, with several armed terrorists nearby that posed a threat to the troops located in the area. In response, an Israeli Air Force aircraft eliminated the terrorists.
Hamas and other terrorist organizations exploit the humanitarian effort to advance terrorist objectives at the expense of the welfare of the population in Gaza. The IDF, through COGAT, will continue to work in cooperation with international aid organizations to prevent their exploitation for terrorist purposes.
</blockquote>
Israel then released <a href="https://videoidf.azureedge.net/f04e0b34-75e2-47b0-b1e7-763ff0088771">footage</a> of the armed terrorists who used a vehicle marked with the WCK emblem.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
❗️WATCH: 5 armed terrorists operating within a vehicle marked with a fake “World Central Kitchen” emblem, despite having no affiliation with the organization. They wore yellow vests and cynically exploited the trust given to aid groups to conceal their activity.<a href="https://twitter.com/cogatonline?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cogatonline</a>… <a href="https://t.co/fiKHqKSXFK">pic.twitter.com/fiKHqKSXFK</a>
&mdash; LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) <a href="https://twitter.com/LTC_Shoshani/status/1955302018295210126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The World Central Kitchen released this statement on X:
<blockquote>
WCK was contacted by Israel&#8217;s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and confirmed the vehicle and persons of interest were not affiliated with WCK. We strongly condemn anyone posing as WCK or other humanitarians as this endangers civilians and aid workers. The safety and security of our teams are our top priority.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WCK was contacted by Israel&#39;s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), and confirmed the vehicle and persons of interest were not affiliated with WCK. We strongly condemn anyone posing as WCK or other humanitarians as this endangers civilians and aid… <a href="https://t.co/unCohUdyu8">https://t.co/unCohUdyu8</a>
&mdash; World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) <a href="https://twitter.com/WCKitchen/status/1955316399846437138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After five terrorists were caught in Gaza wearing NGO World Central Kitchen gear, and after they had already tried posing as journalists and UNRWA workers &#8211; we can’t help but wonder:
What will they dress up as next? Our guess: a Disney princess. <a href="https://t.co/CiboLUpYcw">pic.twitter.com/CiboLUpYcw</a>
&mdash; Israel ישראל (@Israel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1955547448665051208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Humanitarian aid trucks crossed Rafah Border Crossing after announcement of ceasefire

Hamas Terrorists Posing As Aid Workers Taken Out By Israel

Hamas Terrorists Killed By Israel Were Posing As World Central Kitchen Workers

Hamas

World Health Kitchen

Inflation remains low despite media warnings about tariffs, as the U.S. extends its trade truce with China. The fallout from President Trump&#8217;s federal takeover of the D.C. police intensifies, with the city&#8217;s mayor and the media clashing over the reality of the crime crisis. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu lays out his post-war plan for Gaza and pushes back on a &#8220;global campaign of lies&#8221; as international pressure mounts.
It’s Wednesday, August 13, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2>Trump Economy Holds Strong as Inflation Defies Predictions</h2>
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Topline: New data show U.S. inflation held steady at a lower-than-expected rate in July, defying dire predictions that President Trump’s tariffs would cause prices to skyrocket. 
Despite warnings from many experts and media outlets, inflation held steady at 2.7% in July, below the 2.8% predicted by economists. The new numbers show that prices for key goods are falling, with gasoline down 10% and eggs down 20%, while real wages are up 1.3% compared to last year. While outlets like The New York Times have tried to frame the numbers negatively, even CNN was forced to acknowledge falling energy and grocery prices. 
The good news comes as the U.S. and China agreed to extend their &#8220;trade truce&#8221; for another 90 days, holding tariffs at a reduced rate while negotiations continue. The administration’s massive trade deals with the European Union, U.K., South Korea, and Japan are already paying dividends. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the new tariffs have already brought in over $100 billion and are projected to reach $300 billion by the end of the year. 
<h2>Fallout Intensifies Over Trump’s D.C. Takeover</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-960187" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MRN-8.13.25-Wed-SH2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The fallout from President Trump’s decision to federalize the Washington, D.C., police force has intensified, sparking a furious debate between city leaders and the media over the reality of the capital&#8217;s crime crisis. 
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has admitted she has no legal recourse to stop the federal intervention, but claims the crime wave is a fiction, stating that the city is at a &#8220;30-year violent crime low.&#8221; She is using the federal takeover to renew her calls for D.C. statehood. That narrative has been echoed by some in the media, with a New York Times reporter referring to a &#8220;nonexistent crime crisis.&#8221; 
However, journalists on the ground in D.C. tell a different story. An ABC News anchor detailed multiple recent shootings near her downtown office, while a CNN contributor said he witnessed a murder in Union Station just a few months ago. 
The D.C. police union is backing the president&#8217;s move, saying crime is &#8220;out of control.&#8221; The union&#8217;s president blamed a 2020 law that &#8220;handcuffed police officers&#8221; for creating a shortage of over 800 officers and making it impossible to properly police the city. 
<h2>Netanyahu Outlines Gaza Plan, Pushes Back on ‘Lies’</h2>
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Topline: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has laid out a five-point vision for a post-war Gaza and is pushing back against what he calls a &#8220;global campaign of lies&#8221; regarding the humanitarian situation in the territory. 
During a press conference, Netanyahu said Israel&#8217;s goal is to &#8220;free Gaza from Hamas terrorists,&#8221; not to occupy it. His five-point plan includes the defeat of Hamas and the release of all hostages, the demilitarization of Gaza, an established security zone on the border, and a new civilian administration that can live in peace with Israel. 
Netanyahu also pushed back on claims that Israel is causing a humanitarian crisis, stating that his country has allowed nearly two million tons of aid into Gaza. &#8220;Our policy throughout the war has been to prevent a humanitarian crisis, while Hamas’ policy has been to create it,&#8221; he said, noting that Hamas loots nearly 90% of aid trucks. A recent Daily Wire exclusive report from Kassy Akiva supported this, debunking a viral story about a Gazan boy who was allegedly killed by Israeli forces at an aid site. 
The comments come as international pressure on Israel mounts. Several European nations, including France, the U.K., and Canada, have recently moved to recognize a Palestinian state. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the move, saying that by rewarding the Palestinians while Hamas still holds hostages, these countries have &#8220;emboldened&#8221; the terror group and made a ceasefire harder to achieve.

MRN 8.13.25 Wed SH1

Morning Brief: Low Inflation, Tariff Truce w/China, D.C. Takeover Fallout, Plans For Post-War Gaza

Donald Trump

Economy

Inflation

Law Enforcement

Muriel Bowser

Washington D.C.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the media on Thursday over its coverage of the war in Gaza, and explained how some of America&#8217;s allies are making peace &#8220;harder to achieve&#8221; by effectively ignoring the threat of <a href="https://www.dni.gov/nctc/groups/hamas.html">Hamas</a>.
&#8220;The World Over&#8221; host Raymond Arroyo asked Rubio during a lengthy interview about his thoughts on Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu likely wanting to &#8220;occupy Gaza&#8221; — a plan Netanyahu recently <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-says-israel-not-looking-to-occupy-gaza-but-to-free-it-from-hamas/">denied</a>.
&#8220;It looks like Benjamin Netanyahu wants to occupy Gaza,&#8221; Arroyo said. &#8220;Is occupation of Gaza the right way to go right now? And what about the humanitarian crisis?&#8221;
&#8220;Ultimately, what Israel needs to do for Israel&#8217;s security will be determined by Israel,&#8221; Rubio responded. &#8220;I can tell you the way to break this out is there are three problems there at the same time.&#8221;
&#8220;Number one is the one that&#8217;s getting almost all the media coverage,&#8221; the Secretary of State continued. &#8220;This is the humanitarian problem that we&#8217;re seeing — no one wants to see that. And the United States stands prepared to contribute towards any real effort that will actually get food and medicine and life-sustaining aid to people on the ground in Gaza.&#8221;
The second, Rubio said, is the remaining Israeli hostages, who are getting very little coverage from the press.
&#8220;The second is that there are 20 innocent people being held hostage and starved inside of tunnels,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Unfortunately, there aren&#8217;t daily cameras down there covering that. So, you don&#8217;t see the mainstream media covering it. But there are 20 people that have done nothing wrong that are being held as hostage — and we saw the conditions that they&#8217;re living in the other day.&#8221;
As for the third issue, Rubio underscored the threat of Hamas.
&#8220;As long as Hamas exists, particularly exists as an armed organization, there will never be peace in Gaza,&#8221; he told Arroyo. &#8220;Hamas is not going to suddenly change and go into another line of work, their line of work, their reason for existing, is they want to destroy Israel. They want to drive every Jew out of the Middle East. That&#8217;s their goal. And as long as a group like that has weapons and the ability to fight, they&#8217;re a threat to peace.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to deal with all three of those elements, not just the humanitarian,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;That&#8217;s important, but the other two have to be dealt with as well. Not enough time, not enough attention is being paid to those two, [so] Hamas thinks they&#8217;re winning the global PR war. They&#8217;re not willing to make any concessions.&#8221;
Arroyo seemed to agree with Rubio, noting that some of America&#8217;s allies are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state. Rubio said gestures like that, which effectively ignore Hamas, hurt the likelihood of peace.
&#8220;Well, have you noticed the talks with Hamas fell apart on the day [French President Emmanuel] Macron made the unilateral decision that he&#8217;s going to recognize a Palestinian state? And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, &#8216;Well, if there&#8217;s not a ceasefire by September, we&#8217;re going to recognize a Palestinian state.'&#8221;
&#8220;Well, if I&#8217;m Hamas, I basically conclude, let&#8217;s not do a ceasefire, right? We can be rewarded and we can claim it as a victory,&#8221; Rubio explained. &#8220;So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas. They feel emboldened.&#8221;
Arroyo noted the Arab League pushing for the removal of Hamas. &#8220;I mean, clearly the Arab League says you got to get Hamas out of there,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They need to drop arms and move on.&#8221;
Rubio further said that recognizing a Palestinian state would be a reward for Hamas.
&#8220;They can&#8217;t define the borders or who&#8217;s going to run it,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;I mean, you can&#8217;t have a state or even an autonomous region unless you can identify who&#8217;s going to run it. And if it&#8217;s going to be run by Hamas, you&#8217;re going to be right back into war.&#8221;
&#8220;I think what&#8217;s important to remember here is that they&#8217;ve had opportunities to do this,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You know, Israel turned over Gaza, turned it over completely with greenhouses and all kinds of things. And they elected Hamas. Hamas destroyed it, destroyed it all, took it, built tunnels instead of hospitals. That&#8217;s what they do.&#8221;
&#8220;At the end of the day, my problem with it is that I believe that these unilateral steps that have been taken by these governments — I know, has emboldened Hamas and made it harder to achieve peace.&#8221;
The interview with Rubio can be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvpcKjjRmk&amp;t=802s">accessed here</a> (relevant comments begin around the nine-minute mark).

President Trump Hosts Philippines President Marcos At White House

Rubio Hits Media Over Gaza Narrative, Says Some Allies Making It Harder To Achieve Peace

Marco Rubio

Media

A picture is worth a thousand words — or in this case, a thousand lies. Or, in this case, a thousand reasons to fuel the BDS campaign in the United States: Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions.
As a professional photographer, I know that the person behind the lens doesn’t just capture the story, they control it. Every crop is a decision. Every object in the frame is a deliberate layer. Every angle sends a message. What you choose to show and what you intentionally leave out matters. Photography can illuminate truth. But it can just as easily be weaponized to obscure it.
That’s exactly what’s happening in Gaza.
A recent exposé by <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-863454#google_vignette">German outlet</a> BILD revealed that Gaza-based photographer Anas Zayed Fatiyeh has been staging scenes of suffering — intentionally using women and children — to manufacture strong emotions and propaganda on behalf of Hamas. These aren’t candid moments of human agony; they are carefully choreographed images designed to deceive.
One of Fatiyeh’s photos recently went viral after being amplified by The New York Times and millions of influencers. It showed a severely malnourished Gazan child wearing a trash bag, with headlines claiming Israel was “starving” civilians. The image is heartbreaking, and the suffering is real — but the story was false. The child had severe congenital conditions, including cerebral palsy. A healthy child who appears to be a sibling, not in a trash bag but in normal clothing, standing right beside them, was deliberately cropped out of the frame.
<div id="attachment_959399" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959399" class="size-large wp-image-959399" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2225506182-864x576.jpg" alt="GAZA CITY, GAZA - JULY 21: Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, a 1.5-year-old child in Gaza City, Gaza, faces life-threatening malnutrition as the humanitarian situation worsens due to ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade, on July 21, 2025. Having dropped from 9 to 6 kilograms, he struggles to survive in a tent in Gaza City, where milk, food, and other basic necessities are lacking. Suzan Marouf, a clinical nutrition specialist at Patient Friend’s Hospital, confirmed that Mohammad’s condition worsened due to severe malnutrition caused by the ongoing Israeli siege. When his family brought him to the hospital a month ago, doctors diagnosed him with moderate malnutrition in addition to pre-existing congenital health issues, including brain complications and muscle atrophy. Marouf said they had been trying to stabilize Mohammad’s condition using the last remaining nutritional supplements. &quot;The medical issues he had weren’t significantly affecting his weight,&quot; she noted. (Photo by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2225506182-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2225506182-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2225506182-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2225506182.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/Anadolu via Getty Images</div>
This wasn’t journalism. It was another example of deliberately distorting reality to cast Israel as the perpetrator and Hamas as the victim. It is visual DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
And it didn’t happen in a vacuum. This isn’t organic outrage, it’s narrative warfare and has been going on for decades, executed in stages, and the formula works: 
First, Hamas-approved photographers stage the shot. Then, mainstream outlets from The New York Times to the BBC buy and publish the images from the Hamas-approved photographer, giving them global legitimacy. BDS accounts flood social media with them, stripped of context but supercharged with moral outrage. By the time real developments emerge — like hostage videos showing real famine, or footage of Evyatar David, intentionally starved (a war crime) and forced to dig his own grave — the emotional groundwork is already in place. The narrative then takes root, outrage explodes, and blame shifts automatically to Israel. The cherry on top? Destabilization in the West.
That’s exactly what happened here. The manufactured image became the emotional climax of a months-long BDS campaign blitz accusing Israel of engineering famine while conveniently omitting a critical fact: it was the United Nations, not Israel, that paused aid deliveries, leaving nearly 1,000 humanitarian trucks stalled inside Gaza.
What didn’t go viral? Over 100 million meals have been delivered into Gaza in the last two months alone — facilitated by Israel and the U.S. through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. That’s not the behavior of a genocidal regime. That’s a sovereign nation defending itself under relentless rocket fire, still upholding humanitarian obligations in the middle of war.
<div id="attachment_959405" style="width: 881px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959405" class="size-large wp-image-959405" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2226561585-871x576.jpg" alt="A C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft drops humanitarian aid on the northern Gaza Strip on July 27, 2025. Two Jordanian and one Emirati plane drop 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid over the Gaza Strip, Jordanian state television reports on July 27, 2025. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" width="871" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2226561585-871x576.jpg 871w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2226561585-300x198.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2226561585-768x508.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/GettyImages-2226561585.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 871px) 100vw, 871px" />Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images</div>
Hamas understands something many in the West still don’t: visual storytelling wields more power than words. In a media landscape where lies spread six times faster than truth, where content goes viral without verification, and where movements are built on emotion instead of evidence, a single image — especially of a child in pain or, worse, a child’s death — can shape global perception before truth even enters the conversation. Even when the image is staged, or the child is tragically yet intentionally sacrificed by Hamas, the emotional impact overwhelms reality. And once the narrative takes hold, the truth rarely catches up.
This visual manipulation metastasizes. In the United States, Hamas’s propaganda becomes the lifeblood and oxygen of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. While Hamas wages physical war, BDS attacks the American mind.
You’ve likely seen BDS content without realizing it: polished Instagram carousels calling for “genocide” strikes, petitions demanding economic boycotts, and blacklists of “Zionist businesses.” But make no mistake, this is not a grassroots cry for peace. BDS was conceived under the Iranian regime, shaped by Soviet propaganda, and codified at the 2001 Durban Conference — a supposed anti-racism summit that devolved into open antisemitism, casting Israel as the world’s pariah. Officially launched in 2005, BDS has since infiltrated nearly every legacy institution in the West and thrives on the most powerful algorithms and most naive influencers online.
BDS is a sophisticated, well-funded Trojan horse cloaked in Western progressive language: feminism, decolonization, intersectionality, liberation theology. These ideals have been hijacked and funneled into unlikely arenas. <a href="https://coachingindustryglobalstrike.com">Wellness coaches</a> are calling for BDS strikes. Interior design accounts are boycotting Jewish businesses. Predatory marketing influencers like Jenna Kutcher are raising money for <a href="https://ngo-monitor.org/ngos/palestine_children_s_relief_fund_ohio_/">NGOs</a> that historically have documented ties to Hamas. The publishing industry is boycotting <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9u0y4uJsSG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Jewish authors</a>. And even ex-country music singer turned social justice crusader <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a2tolfsarb64bn18gm25c/Maren-Morris-BDS-Rosenheck-Op-ed.jpg?rlkey=o7c7kz48huni79qvjz0p1psm7&amp;dl=0">Maren Morris</a> is resharing BDS propaganda on her Instagram stories. Many of these voices have unknowingly become messengers for Hamas.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-959415 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-384x576.jpg" alt="" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-1360x2040.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/MixCollage-11-Aug-2025-10-00-AM-5432-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></div>
Credit: @marenmorris/Instagram
I’ve seen their playbooks firsthand. Last year, I was part of the effort to stop a BDS resolution in Nashville and sifted through hundreds of BDS Google Drive toolkits used to <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x8ggtgx3tzafjvozy650g/STOP-GAZA-GENOCIDE_-Ceasefire-Now-Public-Toolkit-copy.docx?rlkey=gg6u3uoy93b0l5ipfkw9yvr9u&amp;dl=0">orchestrate pressure campaigns.</a> These documents detail everything from how to birddog politicians, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XripiWh5HoaNwLkPz05xrF2OJ-Yd6NVt3THLrNxLsE/edit?usp=sharing">chant slogans in English and Arabic,</a> manipulate marginalized groups, and weaponize emotional language to win public opinion — along with legal contacts for when the chaos inevitably leads to arrests.
The manipulation works. We’ve created a culture where a staged photo can do more to radicalize a high school student at a private school that costs $30k/year than any speech from a terrorist leader. And the consequences are measurable: Antisemitism isn’t just rising, it&#8217;s raging. The Anti-Defamation League reports 46% of the global population harbors antisemitic beliefs. That means nearly every other person you pass on the street or follow online holds some form of hatred toward Jews or Israel.
Let’s stop pretending this is accidental. It is deliberate. It is dangerous. And it is working.
I believe in the power of photography. I’ve dedicated my life to it. When done with integrity, photography is one of the most powerful tools we have to build bridges, evoke empathy, and humanize differences. But when photography is used as a weapon of propaganda, it becomes a tool of destruction, of truth, of peace, and of human dignity.
This is a wake-up call — not just for journalists, producers, and editors, but for every one of us who consumes media. We must ask: Who is behind this image? What’s their agenda? What’s being shown and what’s being deliberately left out? Does this content amount to material support for a foreign terrorist organization — a felony under U.S. law? Where is the line, and who is drawing it?
If we don’t start applying discernment, we become complicit in a system designed to manipulate us. We become pawns in a game played by those who seek not peace, but power.
You can either be used by Hamas propaganda, or you can reject it. You can either fall for the illusion or you can insist on the truth, no matter how complex or uncomfortable.
Photography shapes memory. It shapes morality. And right now, it&#8217;s being used to distort both.
* * *
Alyssa Rosenheck is a bestselling author and named by Architectural Digest as one of the top photographers in the U.S. Through her forthcoming book White. Blonde. Jew. (Spring 2026) and firsthand experience on post-war delegations to Israel, she confronts modern antisemitism while inspiring truth-tellers and cultural clarity.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Malnourished toddler in Gaza fights for life amid ongoing Israeli attacks

How Hamas Photo Propaganda Dupes The West And Fuels BDS

Boycott Divest Sanction

Legacy Media

New York Times

Opinion

Photography

The viral story of a Gazan boy killed by Israel’s military at an aid distribution site is under question in light of new body cam footage from the day of the incident and an interview with a woman who&#8217;s been identified as the boy&#8217;s stepmother who insists he was alive after it occurred.
In a video exclusively obtained by The Daily Wire, a woman who says she is the boy&#8217;s stepmother, Siham Al-Jarabe&#8217;a, disputes the account given by former Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) contractor Tony Aguilar. Aguilar says he met a boy named “Amir&#8221; while working at a GHF aid site on May 28, and saw him killed by the Israel Defense Forces that day. His account has since gone viral, fueling criticism of Israel as well as the United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
But Al-Jarabe&#8217;a — who has been interviewed on several media outlets — says her stepson, Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hamdan Al-Jarabe&#8217;a, went missing on July 28 and was alive with her for two months after the date Aguilar claims he saw him die.
Al-Jarabe&#8217;a says she believes Aboud, as he’s known to family (Al-Jarabe&#8217;a says Aguilar was responsible for spreading the nickname “Amir”) is still alive, as she has seen no death certificate or body, and suspects he may have been kidnapped.
In a video filmed on August 5, Al-Jarabe&#8217;a is asked repeatedly what day her son went missing, to which she replied July 28 — about a week before.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Al-Jarabe&#8217;a said that she left Amir at home at 6AM on July 28 and went to a GHF site for aid. When she returned home, Amir was missing. Two days later, she saw Aguilar’s footage from May and thought he was the last person to see her son.
Interview 👇 <a href="https://t.co/nMN2Y6EbuW">pic.twitter.com/nMN2Y6EbuW</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1954734310499516580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
“July 28 is the last time you saw the boy? Today is August 5,” the Arabic-speaking interviewer says to Al-Jarabe&#8217;a. The Arabic interview’s translation into English has been independently verified by The Daily Wire.
“Yes,” she replied.
“So almost a week ago?”
“Yes.”
<h3>Aguilar’s Video and New Footage</h3>
Aguilar <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmxBUpyb2oI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first spoke about</a> Amir on an American podcast called Unxeptable, which discloses on a <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/unxeptable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraising page</a> that it exists only to criticize the Israeli government. The interview took place on July 28, the same day Al-Jarabe&#8217;a says her son went missing. During the interview, Aguilar recounts how he met Amir at GHF’s Safe Distribution Site 2.
Aguilar says in the interview that he told the boy, “People care. You&#8217;re a human being and people care about you,” before he kneeled down and placed his hands on the side of Amir’s face. He adds that Amir, the boy, responded by kissing him and saying thank you in English, only to walk away and get shot an hour later.
“He sets his food down, and he places his hands on my face — on the side of my face, on my cheeks — these frail, skeleton, emaciated hands, dirty. And he puts them on my face, and he kissed me. He kissed me, and he said, ‘Thank you,’ in English. Thank you. And he collected his items, and he walked back to the group, and then he was shot at with pepper spray and tear gas and stun grenades and bullets — shot at his feet and in the air — and he runs away, scared.”
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_959265" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959265" class="size-large wp-image-959265" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-1024x576.jpeg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/IMG_0624-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hamdan al-Jarabe&#8217;a kissing the hand of a GHF contractor.</div>
&nbsp;
His story was picked up days later by MSNBC, which did a special report on Aguilar’s allegation that the boy was “gunned down” and killed. He was <a href="https://youtu.be/cWVC5d4490Y?si=sByloGU3f60OfLFI">also invited</a> to tell his story to a sitting Democrat Senator, Maryland’s Chris Van Hollen.
But in response to questions from The Daily Wire, Aguilar clarified that while he saw “Amir’s” motionless body on the ground, he could not verify that he was dead. Aguilar said that, based on his 25 years of experience in the Army, he assessed the boy was “dead or, at a minimum, fatally wounded.”
“I saw Amir&#8217;s body on the ground, having fallen/dropped to the ground amidst the gunfire from the IDF, which was being fired toward the crowd as a crowd control measure to keep them moving in a westerly direction to the Morag Corridor as they left the site,” Aguilar said. “It has always been my position that he, and others, were dead. The body wasn&#8217;t moving. Others ran or limped away. I, nor anyone, could verify that he was dead.”
“Considering that he has not been found, and he has not been seen, it is safe to say that my assessment is correct,” Aguilar added. “However, if he were to be alive, that would be a blessing. Yet it does not excuse the firing of ‘warning shots’ at/toward/near a group of unarmed civilians.”
The GHF maintains that no incident involving IDF fire on civilians occurred at their distribution site that day. It adds that even if such an incident had taken place, Aguilar could not have witnessed it, as GHF contractors are prohibited from leaving the secure aid sites — which are set back from the IDF’s position, lack a clear line of sight, and are separated by physical barriers such as sand mounds.
The IDF did not report any incidents taking place on May 28.
A review of body cam footage of an American security contractor standing next to Aguilar also shows a very different interaction than what has been described by Aguilar.
The boy is seen walking up to the man with the body cam and kissing his hand. He then turns to Aguilar, and appears to ask for assistance with getting the crowd to let them take food. Aguilar then touches the boy’s shoulders and chest.
“This little young man here, obviously pretty young, he has food,” Aguilar says while recording his video. “Go home, go home, okay? Thank you.”
The little boy then walks away into the crowd.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The contractor wearing the body cam told The Daily Wire that Aguilar’s story is “fabricated.”
&#8220;There is no profound English dialog, kneeling at his level, nor does the boy drop his aid to kiss Tony and say ‘thank you’ to him in English.&#8221;
Side-by-side video👇 <a href="https://t.co/YaQpDmw4CN">pic.twitter.com/YaQpDmw4CN</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1954734297379918285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Aguilar confirmed to The Daily Wire that the footage below is the full extent of the interaction. Asked why the video does not show the full interaction he described, Aguilar insisted in a statement that it transpired off camera, and that the hand shown being kissed was his.
“The video you show misses the moments of the key elements you are claiming to discredit, yet your video doesn’t ‘not’ show it, and you weren’t there, and I am on the record,” Aguilar said. “I did not embellish. And it is clearly evident that Amir and I had the interaction.”
The security contractor wearing the body cam told The Daily Wire that Aguilar’s story is “fabricated.”
“The hand in his picture is my hand,” the contractor said, describing how he knows it’s not Aguilar’s. “I have discolored pigment from a burn on that hand, and I see the blood under my fingernail growing out from smashing it at home before coming here. The boy disappeared back into the aid after Tony walks off from him. There is no profound English dialog, kneeling at his level, nor does the boy drop his aid to kiss Tony and say ‘thank you’ to him in English. Tony completely fabricated this story.”’
On May 29, a day after the alleged incident, Aguilar sent a “daily impact report” to his fellow teammates where he praised them for their work and included two pictures of Amir.
“Your efforts have brought families back together and have severely weakened the image of Hamas,” Aguilar wrote in the texts released by the GHF after Aguilar first went public with his accusations. “GREAT JOB.”
<div id="attachment_959267" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959267" class="wp-image-959267 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/3.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Tony Aguilar praising his teammates on May 29 along with two photos of Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hamdan al-Jarabe&#8217;a aka &#8220;Amir.&#8221;</div>
<h3>Amir’s Stepmother Says The Boy Was Alive After May 28</h3>
According to Amir’s stepmother, the boy was not killed on the day he appeared in Aguilar’s footage — he lived for at least another two months after May 28.
News of Aguilar’s story greatly confused Al-Jarabe&#8217;a, who does not own a phone with an internet connection and first saw his footage about two days after she says her son went missing on July 28.
Until the August 5 interview, she believed that Aguilar mixed up his dates and actually took the footage in July instead of May. Aguilar’s work with GHF ended in June, when he was terminated by the security contractor staffing aid sites “due to poor performance, volatile conflicts with staff, and erratic behavior.”
“The American made a mistake by saying he saw the boy May 15,” the grieving mother said, mixing up the May dates. “This is from two months ago. No, the boy went to the Americans on July 28.”
When she is told Aguilar’s photo is from May, she denies it, affirming that the footage must have been taken on July 28, the day her son went missing.
“I tell you that this picture that was on the news, was not from July 28,” the interviewer says, showing a picture of Amir.
“No, it was July 28.”
Al-Jarabe&#8217;a said that she left Amir at home at 6:00 a.m. on July 28 and went to a GHF site to pick up aid with her daughter. When she returned home, Amir was missing. Two days later, her neighbor saw Aguilar’s story and footage and told her that Amir was killed when visiting GHF’s SDS2 site.
“A woman came and told me that it looks like your son Aboud was martyred,” she said. “I told her I’m shocked.”
Aguilar’s claim of where the incident happened also confused Amir’s mother who said in the interview that her son had never been to SDS2 — which she calls Al Shakosh — before, and that she was confused when she heard where he was because it was much further from their home from the SDS3 site where the family has been going to get aid.
Aguilar repeated the claim that he met Amir at SDS2 in several interviews, but clarified to The Daily Wire after being presented with evidence from GHF’s daily operational emails that SDS2 was not operational on May 28, that it must have happened at SDS3.
<div id="attachment_959255" style="width: 964px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959255" class="size-large wp-image-959255" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM-954x576.png" alt="" width="954" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM-954x576.png 954w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM-300x181.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM-768x464.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM-1536x927.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-10-at-9.09.17-PM.png 2008w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 954px) 100vw, 954px" />GHF Operational Update emailed to press on May 28.</div>
“I was surprised to find out he was at Al Shakosh,” Al-Jarabe&#8217;a said, adding that the only reason she thought Amir went to the site was from Aguilar’s claims in the press.
“How did you find out he was at Al Shakosh?” the interviewer asked.
“The American released his photo.”
“Okay, so you’re basing your information on the story by the American?”
“Yes.”
“So not because you knew he was going to Al Shakosh?”
“No. I thought he was going to Al Tina (SDS3).”
The Daily Wire reviewed interviews with two of Al-Jarabe&#8217;a’s neighbors also confirming that Amir went missing on July 28.
Al-Jarabe&#8217;a said upon realizing Amir was missing, she thought he must’ve followed her after she left for SDS3.
The photos and videos of Aguilar shared with the press gave his stepmother hope she would find Amir, because she did not realize they were taken in May. She has spent over a week going to morgues, hospitals, and humanitarian organizations in search of a sign of life, she says.
In the interview, she said she had spoken with Aguilar days before, but wanted to clarify with him what exactly he saw.
“I want to reach the American whom my son kissed his hand, to talk to him and ask him: did you see him die in front of you? Did you see the boy die with your own eyes? I mean, you said you gave your resignation when you saw the moment in front of you.”
Aguilar provided The Daily Wire with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKsNF0z3fL8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Zoom recording</a> where he, Al-Jarabe&#8217;a, and activists were present. In the Zoom, Aguilar shares the same claims he has made about Aguilar, and mentions that the incident took place on May 28. When Aguilar’s comments are translated into Arabic, the translator does not mention when Aguilar took the video. Aguilar says the Zoom, during which Al-Jarabe&#8217;a was having connection issues, took place on August 3.
Al-Jarabe&#8217;a responds in Arabic, stating that she’s been searching for her son since the 28th — without specifying which month, and says she has still yet to find any evidence showing if her son is dead or alive.
Reports in both <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2025/8/4/relative-of-photographed-boy-killed-at-gaza-aid-site-cant-find-his-body#flips-6376529917112:0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al Jazeera</a> and <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-family-boy-amir-killed-ghf-site-still-have-not-received-his-body" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Middle East Eye</a> share heavily-edited videos of Al-Jarabe&#8217;a, who says she is searching for her son without any mention of when he went missing.
Both reports accurately name Amir as Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hamdan al-Jarabe&#8217;a. According to al-Jarabe&#8217;a, she saw Aguilar call her son “Amir” and believed it was because the boy had kissed the hand of an Amir (Arabic for &#8220;prince&#8221;) — referring to Aguilar.
“He was named Al Amir when he kissed the hand of the Amir,” she said. “And the nickname stuck.”
When asked how she found out about the nickname, she said it came from the internet.
“From the internet, they said ‘the child Amir.”
Aguilar told The Daily Wire that he believes Amir was an already existing nickname.
“Surely, as anyone can understand, Amir was his nickname,” he said. “My name, for example, is Anthony Aguilar, but I go by ‘Tony.’”
Despite Aguilar’s insistence, Al-Jarabe&#8217;a still believes that her son is alive.
“I believe my son is alive — he didn’t die,” she said. “I feel strong because if he died in Al Shakosh — I entered Al Shakosh — they for sure would have given him treatment,” she added, referring to the basic medical attention GHF provides to aid seekers.
She adds that in Aguilar’s footage, Amir is surrounded by a crowd, and someone would have been able to provide her more information.
“My son was not alone,” she said. “When the American said he was shot and fell, he was surrounded by a lot of people.”
According to GHF, Augilar’s contract was terminated on June 13 “due to poor performance, volatile conflicts with staff, and erratic behavior.” In several screenshots of text messages provided to the press, Aguilar is seen both lashing out at GHF staff and asking for his job back. In a screenshot provided to The Daily Wire of GHF’s executive team chat, a leader reiterates on June 13 that Aguilar was fired after being given a chance at two different locations and still getting “negative feedback.”
<div id="attachment_959257" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-959257" class="size-large wp-image-959257" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Cover-images-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Cover-images-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Cover-images-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Cover-images-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/Cover-images.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Screenshots of text messages regarding Tony Aguilar&#8217;s employment at GHF. (Courtesy)</div>
“Last straw was planning today and being disruptive and unprofessional,” the leader writes.
On June 22 Aguilar wrote to a GHF employee: “I can be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. Stop F-ing around, put me back to work, and let’s get this mission done.”
Aguilar claims he was not fired, but resigned.
After returning to the United States, Aguilar went to the media — first anonymously, then on the record — to voice his grievances about GHF operations, including the story of Amir.

Tony Aguilar and Amir

EXCLUSIVE: New Evidence Calls Into Question Viral Story Of Gazan Boy ‘Amir’ Killed At GHF Aid Site

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that &#8220;not enough attention&#8221; is being focused on the hostages still being held by Hamas.
During an interview on Fox Business, host Larry Kudlow noted the Israeli government might engage in a complete military takeover of Gaza and pressed Rubio on whether he has spoken to the prime minister — and whether he thinks Israel is making a wise decision.
&#8220;Well, ultimately the president has said that it’s up to Israel to decide what they need to do for their own security. I’ve spoken often — almost daily — to somebody in the Israeli government, often to the prime minister but many times to many members of his team,&#8221; the top diplomat said.
Rubio then explained how there are three &#8220;interrelated&#8221; problems when it comes to the situation in Gaza.
&#8220;The first is there is a humanitarian problem that needs to be addressed. We’re working very hard to figure out ways to address it in ways that doesn’t benefit Hamas but that allows people to be fed and prevents a further humanitarian problem there that we’re seeing now,&#8221; Rubio said.
He added, &#8220;The second is that there are 20 innocent human beings that are being held hostage in horrifying conditions. And the third is that as long as Hamas exists, there will not be peace. There cannot be a permanent peace. It’ll restart again if Hamas remains.&#8221;
President Donald Trump recently <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1828298958101812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> there was &#8220;real starvation&#8221; going on in Gaza, in a rare break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who contends Hamas is hoarding supplies and no famine is taking place.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday that he and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee met with Israeli officials to assess the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where the fight against Hamas continues.
&#8220;The purpose of the visit was to give [President Trump] a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,&#8221; Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1951281182286500025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X.
Rubio said there is &#8220;a lot of attention&#8221; being placed on the humanitarian issue and noted &#8220;we want to do everything we can to be helpful on the humanitarian problem.&#8221;
The secretary went on to say, &#8220;But not enough attention is being paid to the fact that 20 people that had nothing to do with this are being held hostage in tunnels on the verge of death, and no real talk about how Hamas needs to be disarmed and disbanded. We have to focus more on those two things.&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;You have to do all three, and all the talk is about humanitarian — which is important; we are willing to do a lot to be helpful there — but we have to focus on the other two. Those other two cannot be forgotten. And it’s all — the president has said he wants all the hostages out — not five, not seven, all of them, including the deceased hostages. And ultimately, Hamas cannot continue to exist. Even the Arab League says it. As long as Hamas exists as an armed group in Gaza, there will not be a &#8230; peaceful future, because it’s going to happen again. And that can’t — this can never happen again.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Trump official says admin has &#039;CONCRETE EXAMPLES&#039; of what Russia would ask for to end Ukraine war" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8FIRt7mASM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

‘Not Enough Attention’ Given To Hostages Held By Hamas, Rubio Declares

State Department

Trump Administration

U.S.

According to United Nations data, 88.7% of the organization&#8217;s aid trucks have been looted in Gaza since May 19.
Data shared by the United Nations&#8217; 2720 Mechanism for Gaza show that of the 2,604 trucks that collected aid at border crossings, 2,310 were intercepted “peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” during transit.
Only 300 trucks, just 11.5%, successfully reached their intended destinations.
A spotlight on the data comes as Israel continues to face allegations of blocking aid to Gaza. <a href="https://info.un2720.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UN figures show</a> that Israel approved 112 aid requests in June and denied 38.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-slams-senate-democrats-over-calls-to-defund-gaza-humanitarian-foundation?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Slams+Senate+Democrats+Over+Calls+To+Defund+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STATE DEPARTMENT SLAMS SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER CALLS TO DEFUND GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION</a>
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last month, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Of the 44,650 tons offloaded at the crossings, UN trucks have picked up only 35,968 tons. This leaves 8,682 tons of aid sitting in the sun awaiting transport — a situation heavily criticized by both Israel and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which accuse the UN of failing to efficiently distribute its aid.
Due to the bottleneck and constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-says-he-doesnt-believe-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Trump+Says+He+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Believe+Israel+Is+Committing+Genocide+In+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EXCLUSIVE: NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS UN CONVOY DRIVING INTO MOB OF GAZANS, CASUALTIES REPORTED</a>
GHF <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/witkoff-and-huckabee-tour-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-site-as-group-distributes-100-millionth-meal?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Witkoff+And+Huckabee+Tour+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation+Site+As+Group+Distributes+100+Millionth+Meal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hit a milestone</a> last week by distributing its 100 millionth meal since launching operations to feed Gazan civilians on May 26.
According to GHF, their aid boxes include enough food to feed a family of 5.5 three times a day for 3.5 days. Items vary depending on availability, cost, and other factors, but are built off of similar ingredient lists used by other humanitarian groups.
GHF is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
On Monday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-says-he-doesnt-believe-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=WATCH%3A+Trump+Says+He+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Believe+Israel+Is+Committing+Genocide+In+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump said</a> that he does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
​​<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+%E2%80%98State+of+Palestine%E2%80%99+If+Israel+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Agree+To+Ceasefire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNITED KINGDOM THREATENS TO RECOGNIZE ‘STATE OF PALESTINE’ IF ISRAEL DOESN’T AGREE TO CEASEFIRE</a>
“I don’t think it’s that. They’re in a war,” Trump responded to a reporter who asked him if he’s seen evidence of genocide in Gaza.
Trump added that the United States is making serious efforts to help get goods into Gaza.
“We’re putting up money to get the people fed,” he said, likely referring to the GHF site. “We don’t want people going hungry, and we don’t want people to starve.”
Israel has denied that there is mass starvation in the Gaza Strip, and has vowed to help increase food aid.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad recently released videos of severely-malnourished hostages, including one of Evyatar David, who the terror organization forced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-forces-emaciated-israeli-hostage-to-dig-his-own-grave?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hamas+Forces+Emaciated+Israeli+Hostage+To+Dig+His+Own+Grave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to dig</a> his own grave.
“This is the grave I think I’m going to be buried in. Time is running out,” David said in the video.
Hamas claimed that the hostages were receiving the same amount of food as the general population in Gaza. However, a moment in the propaganda video appeared to contradict that assertion, showing the muscular arm of a Hamas terrorist handing a can to the visibly emaciated David.
Hamas has reportedly barred the Red Cross from delivering food to hostages unless Israel permanently opens humanitarian corridors and suspends all air traffic during such deliveries, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-863225" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Jerusalem Post reported</a>.

Sequence-41.00_00_40_19.Still001.png

United Nations Says 89% Of Their Gaza Aid Trucks Have Been Looted Since May

President Donald Trump said he does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza on Sunday, but is fighting a war.
“I don’t think it’s that. They’re in a war,” Trump responded to a reporter who asked him if he’s seen evidence of genocide in Gaza.
The president went on to point out that Hamas’s October 7 massacre was a “horrible, horrible thing,” adding that it was “one of the worst” he’s ever seen.
“I’ve seen some bad things, but October 7th with Hamas was really, really bad,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump says he does not believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza:
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s that. They&#8217;re in a war.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2sb1bZMK4y">pic.twitter.com/2sb1bZMK4y</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1952444971753378031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump’s remarks come as the media, activist groups, and some countries have made accusations of genocide. Israel has rejected such accusations, stating that it does not intentionally target civilians and takes measures to evacuate them from combat zones.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-slams-senate-democrats-over-calls-to-defund-gaza-humanitarian-foundation?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Slams+Senate+Democrats+Over+Calls+To+Defund+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation">STATE DEPARTMENT SLAMS SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER CALLS TO DEFUND GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION</a>
Trump added that the United States is making serious efforts to help get goods into Gaza.
“We’re putting up money to get the people fed,” he said, likely referring to the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site. “We don’t want people going hungry, and we don’t want people to starve.”
Israel has denied that there is mass starvation in the Gaza Strip but has vowed to help increase food aid.
Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/witkoff-and-huckabee-tour-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-site-as-group-distributes-100-millionth-meal?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Witkoff+And+Huckabee+Tour+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation+Site+As+Group+Distributes+100+Millionth+Meal">toured a GHF site</a> on Friday as the foundation marked the distribution of its 100 millionth meal.
Witkoff, who sported a Make America Great Again hat, said the purpose of the visit was to give Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported">EXCLUSIVE: New Footage Shows UN Convoy Driving Into Mob Of Gazans, Casualties Reported</a>
GHF is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It.">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF Spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement. “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.”
On Monday, GHF distributed 1,718,640 meals, bringing its total since May 26 to 106,546,842.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-approves-plan-for-israel-to-fully-occupy-gaza-strip-reports?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Netanyahu+Approves+Plan+For+Israel+To+Fully+Occupy+Gaza+Strip%3A+Reports">reportedly</a> approved a plan on Monday for Israel to fully occupy the Gaza Strip. The plan includes having the Israeli Defense Forces operating in areas where hostages are believed to be held despite Hamas’s threats to murder hostages if forces get too close, The <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-863225">Jerusalem Post reported</a>. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+%E2%80%98State+of+Palestine%E2%80%99+If+Israel+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Agree+To+Ceasefire">UNITED KINGDOM THREATENS TO RECOGNIZE ‘STATE OF PALESTINE’ IF ISRAEL DOESN’T AGREE TO CEASEFIRE</a>
The decision came after Hamas tanked ceasefire negotiations last month, leading to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blames-hamas-for-ceasefire-collapse-says-terror-group-wants-to-die?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Blames+Hamas+for+Ceasefire+Collapse%2C+Says+Terror+Group+%E2%80%98Wants+To+Die%E2%80%99">Trump saying</a> the terror group “wants to die.”
“They pulled out in terms of negotiation,” Trump said. “It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die and it’s very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you’re going to finish the job.”

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

WATCH: Trump Says He Doesn’t Believe Israel Is Committing Genocide In Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed Monday evening that a plan has been developed for Israel to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.
The plan will include the Israel Defense Forces operating in areas where hostages are believed to be held despite Hamas’s threats to murder hostages if forces get too close, The <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-863225" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerusalem Post reported</a>. Hamas <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-israeli-hersh-goldberg-polin-among-six-dead-hostages-recovered-by-israeli-forces-in-rafah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed six hostages</a> last September — including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin— in Rafah shortly before the IDF reached them.
The Prime Minister&#8217;s office also encouraged IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, to resign from his position if he disagrees with a full occupation.
&#8220;If this does not suit him, you should resign,” the office reportedly said.
The decision came after Hamas tanked ceasefire negotiations last month, leading to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blames-hamas-for-ceasefire-collapse-says-terror-group-wants-to-die?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Blames+Hamas+for+Ceasefire+Collapse%2C+Says+Terror+Group+%E2%80%98Wants+To+Die%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Donald Trump saying</a> the terror group “wants to die.”
“They pulled out in terms of negotiation,” Trump said. “It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die and it’s very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you’re going to finish the job.”
Trump added that Hamas did not want to make a deal because they are down to the final 50 hostages and “they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”
Witkoff said the ceasefire talks fell through because Hamas was not acting “in good faith.”
“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff wrote. “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”
Over the past few days, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad released videos of severely malnourished hostages, including one of Evyatar David, who the terror organization forced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hamas-forces-emaciated-israeli-hostage-to-dig-his-own-grave?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hamas+Forces+Emaciated+Israeli+Hostage+To+Dig+His+Own+Grave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to dig</a> his own grave.
“This is the grave I think I’m going to be buried in. Time is running out,” David said in the video.
Hamas has reportedly barred the Red Cross from delivering food to hostages unless Israel permanently opens humanitarian corridors and suspends all air traffic during such deliveries, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The IDF has been finishing up its operation dubbed “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-greenlights-major-operation-conquer-occupy-gaza-strip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gideon’s Chariots</a>” in recent weeks and has withdrawn its elite 98th Division, made up of paratroopers and commando units, along with two reserve brigades, reported the Times of Israel.
The operation led to the IDF gaining control of approximately 75% of the Gaza Strip. Since the launch of Operation Gideon&#8217;s Chariots, 48 IDF soldiers have been killed.

Netanyahu Hamas

Netanyahu Approves Plan For Israel To Fully Occupy Gaza Strip: Reports

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, toured a humanitarian aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today, as the organization marked the distribution of its 100 millionth meal.
For more than five hours, Witkoff and Huckabee observed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and assessed site conditions to report back to President Donald Trump on the group’s ongoing work.
Witkoff said the purpose of the visit was to give Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-slams-senate-democrats-over-calls-to-defund-gaza-humanitarian-foundation?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Slams+Senate+Democrats+Over+Calls+To+Defund+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STATE DEPARTMENT SLAMS SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER CALLS TO DEFUND GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION</a>
Witkoff is currently on a multi-day trip to Israel, where he has met with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The tour included briefings with the Israeli Defense Forces and speaking to “folks on the ground.” Witkoff — who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat— posted a photo of him shaking the hand of a Gazan woman.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a>’s direction, <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@USAmbIsrael</a> and I met yesterday with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with <a href="https://twitter.com/GHFUpdates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@GHFUpdates</a> and other… <a href="https://t.co/aCtLuMuhq1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/aCtLuMuhq1</a>
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1951281182286500025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF Spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement. “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.”
GHF is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EXCLUSIVE: NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS UN CONVOY DRIVING INTO MOB OF GAZANS, CASUALTIES REPORTED</a>
“GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!” Huckabee posted.
GHF hit a milestone on Friday by distributing its 100 millionth meal since launching operations to feed Gazan civilians on May 26.
According to GHF, their aid boxes include enough food to feed a family of 5.5 three times a day for 3.5 days. Items vary depending on availability, cost, and other factors but are built off of similar ingredient lists used by other humanitarian groups.
“Gaza is one of the most complex operating environments in the world, and we are very proud of the incredible work our dedicated team has accomplished,” GHF Executive Chairman Rev. Johnnie Moore said in a statement. “However, the milestone is bittersweet given the continued shortage of aid coming into Gaza from other humanitarian groups who either lack the ability to safely deliver it or the willingness to work with those who can.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+‘State+of+Palestine’+If+Israel+Doesn’t+Agree+To+Ceasefire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNITED KINGDOM THREATENS TO RECOGNIZE ‘STATE OF PALESTINE’ IF ISRAEL DOESN’T AGREE TO CEASEFIRE</a>
<a href="https://app.un2720.org/tracking/intercepted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to United Nations</a> data, between May and July of this year, 1,753 trucks meant to distribute aid were “intercepted either peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” leaving a limited number of trucks to successfully arrive at UN warehouses.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Due to the constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
The GHF has pushed back on accusations that its distribution sites are dangerous, noting that aid supplies are emptied daily by Gazan civilians, many of whom express thanks for the free assistance.
“The media says our sites are a death trap, but our workers are interacting with these people every day,” Johnnie Moore, the GHF executive chairman, said. “We see at our distribution sites something people haven’t seen in a long time in the Gaza Strip: we see smiles every single day on the faces of women, on the faces of children.”
According to GHF, security issues at its sites have been limited and are typically instigated by individuals the GHF believes are affiliated with Hamas. Incidents include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a grenade attack</a> by terrorists that injured two American contractors, and a stampede earlier this month triggered by armed men inciting chaos in the crowd that resulted in the deaths of 20 Gazan civilians.

Witkoff and Huckabee

Witkoff And Huckabee Tour Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Site As Group Distributes 100 Millionth Meal

Mike Huckabee

Steve Witkoff

A senior State Department official is firing back at a group of Senate Democrats who sent a letter earlier this week urging the Trump administration to halt its support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The group, led by Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen (MD), accuses GHF of being a “scheme” that endangers the lives of civilians and requested that support instead be given to United Nations-led aid efforts.
“We urge you to immediately cease all U.S. funding for GHF and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need,” the senators wrote.
But the official told The Daily Wire that senators are failing to look at the successful track record of the foundation — which is on track to deliver its 100 millionth meal this week— and instead “offering nothing of value.”
“While these members waste time complaining in a letter offering nothing of value, President Trump and Secretary Rubio are actually putting in the work to help find innovative solutions to help get aid into Gaza,” the official said. “To date, GHF is the only pipeline that denies Hamas resources and control.”
The State Department pledged $30 million to fund Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operations last month.
The foundation is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
“The United States supports the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation because it offers a direct delivery model in a setting where alternatives frequently have abetted diversion to terrorist networks,” the official continued. “Hamas has systematically looted humanitarian aid, turning relief into a tool of control. Aid is part of their strategy to stay in power, leaving civilians to navigate chaos and lawlessness.”
As of July 30, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered over 98.5 million meals directly to civilians since starting operations on May 26.
“No other aid channel has come close,” the official said. “Gaza is a collapsed operating environment.”
<a href="https://app.un2720.org/tracking/intercepted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to United Nations</a> data, between May and July of this year, 1,753 trucks meant to distribute aid were &#8220;intercepted either peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” leaving a limited number of trucks to successfully arrive at UN warehouses.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Due to the constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
The GHF has pushed back on accusations that its distribution sites are dangerous, noting that aid supplies are emptied daily by Gazan civilians, many of whom express thanks for the free assistance.
“The media says our sites are a death trap, but our workers are interacting with these people every day,” Johnnie Moore, the GHF executive chairman, said. “We see at our distribution sites something people haven’t seen in a long time in the Gaza Strip: we see smiles every single day on the faces of women, on the faces of children.”
According to GHF, security issues at its sites have been limited and are typically instigated by individuals the GHF believes are affiliated with Hamas. Incidents include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a grenade attack</a> by terrorists that injured two American contractors, and a stampede earlier this month triggered by armed men inciting chaos in the crowd that resulted in the deaths of 20 Gazan civilians.
The <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/van_hollen_ghf_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrats’ letter</a> also accuses GHF security contractors of “having no combat experience or proper training on offensive weapons.”
Moore pushed back hard on the accusation, claiming that GHF’s security contractors are among some of the most decorated and experienced special forces veterans.
“For over a dozen senators to make an accusation like that with information that is so readily available makes me wonder if it was a 17-year-old intern who wrote the letter,” Moore said.
He noted that the contractors showed incredible restraint, experience, and professionalism when the grenades were thrown at them as the perpetrators ran into the crowd to hide and blend in.
“Hamas’s intention was to get the contractors to fire into the crowd of civilians during the incident,” Moore said. “But the level of experience of the people on the ground helped them in that 0.0001 seconds to make the correct decision to lose the assailants in order to not injure any civilians.&#8221;

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State Department Slams Senate Democrats Over Calls To Defund Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Chris Van Hollen

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