WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited southern Gaza on Friday as images of starving Palestinians sparked international outrage over aid shortages.

"At @POTUS’s direction, @USAmbIsrael 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 @GHFUpdates and other agencies," Witkoff wrote in an update on social media.

"The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza," he continued.

Witkoff and Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.

Chapin Fay, the group's spokesperson, said the visit reflected Trump's understanding of the stakes and that “feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority.”

Huckabee said, "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."

All four of the group’s sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and have become flashpoints of desperation during their months of operation, with starving people scrambling for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling.

The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters about the planned visit on Thursday, stating that 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."

Trump pledged on Monday that the U.S. would take immediate action and change its approach to helping Gaza.

“It’s a terrible situation,” Trump said alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. “The whole thing is terrible.”

He said the U.S. plans to establish American-run food centers inside Gaza that will be accessible and allow people to walk in without boundaries and fences.

“I mean, some of those kids, that’s real starvation stuff," Trump said. "I see it. And you can’t fake that. So we’re going to be even more involved.”

Human Rights Watch issued a report on Friday calling the current setup “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.”

“It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations, Israeli military sanctioned curfews, and frequent GHF messages saying that people should not travel to the sites before the distribution window opens,” the report said, citing doctors, aid seekers and at least one security contractor.

Witkoff said last week that the U.S. decided to end Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar early due to Hamas showing "a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza."

"While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith," Witkoff said on social media. "We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza."

The conflict erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others.

They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.