Amid the ongoing deadlock in hostage deal negotiations, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is expected to arrive in Israel on Thursday.
During his visit, Witkoff will focus on advancing efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and plans to tour humanitarian aid distribution centers in the enclave, which are operated by the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). “He wants to see how the situation can be improved,” said one official.
This will mark Witkoff’s first visit to Israel since the release of Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity in mid-May.
In recent days, global sentiment toward Israel has grown increasingly negative in light of images published in international media purporting to show an acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The international backlash has included antisemitic incidents abroad, unsuccessful efforts to remove Israel from global research initiatives and mounting diplomatic pressure—highlighted by threats from major powers including France and the United Kingdom to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
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Even in the United States—one of the few countries whose leadership continues to support Israel—public opinion has shifted dramatically. A new Gallup poll published Tuesday shows a sharp drop in American support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Gallup has been tracking American attitudes toward the war since November 2023. At that time, 50% of respondents supported Israel’s military actions, marking the only instance where support outnumbered opposition. Since then, support has steadily declined.
The most recent survey, conducted between July 7 and July 21, recorded a major shift: 60% of respondents now oppose the war, while only 32% support it. Compared to the previous poll in September, this represents a 10% drop in support and a 12% rise in opposition.
This latest survey was conducted during a period when international media widely circulated images purportedly showing emaciated children in Gaza—images that have fueled mounting global pressure on Israel.
President Trump publicly contradicted assertions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week that there was no widespread hunger in Gaza, saying that such images “can’t be faked.” Netanyahu has since been forced to shift his position. After initially ordering a full halt to aid shipments into Gaza, the IDF is now airdropping humanitarian supplies, despite Israeli claims that Hamas is promoting a false “starvation campaign.”
According to a report by Qatar's Al Araby TV, Israel has delivered a revised response to Hamas—via mediators—regarding the group’s earlier rejection of a proposed hostage release framework. The updated proposal addresses issues including troop redeployment and withdrawal, while reaffirming Israel’s opposition to exchanging bodies of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and insisting on maintaining a presence along the Philadelphi Corridor