US Envoy Meets Netanyahu Amid Gaza Starvation, Aid Deaths

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Gaza ceasefire talks amid a worsening humanitarian crisis characterized by famine and escalating violence. The United States has shifted its stance, imposing sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials, while backing Israel's position and urging Hamas to surrender and release hostages. Gaza faces severe starvation, with reports of dozens of Palestinians killed or wounded while waiting for aid, as the Israeli blockade and military actions exacerbate the crisis. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution efforts, which bypass UN agencies, have faced criticism and incidents of violence, further complicating relief efforts. Despite some temporary pauses in military activity to facilitate aid delivery, humanitarians emphasize that these measures are insufficient to alleviate the famine and call for unfettered aid access. Israel's ongoing military campaign and political moves, including support for West Bank annexation, have intensified fears of ending the two-state solution and raised international legal challenges against Israeli officials over alleged war crimes.