In a press briefing held on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt discussed the ongoing humanitarian efforts in Gaza, focusing specifically on aid distribution initiatives and the newly proposed ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
During the briefing, a reporter attempted to refer to Trump’s aid distribution efforts as a failure, but Leavitt quickly put the individual back in her place.
Leavitt responded to the criticism by saying that food now being distributed to those in Gaza is the first they’ve received in months. She also brought up former President Joe Biden spending a staggering $230 million on a pier that fell apart in a matter of days.
The press secretary confirmed that Israel has given a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal their stamp of approval. It was then submitted to Hamas. The proposal was put together by President Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, with an overarching goal of bringing the hostilities to a stop for at least 60 days and making a path for the release of hostages.
Leavitt told the press, “I can confirm that special envoy Witkoff and the president submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed and supported.” She then added that talks are currently ongoing and that Hamas has not officially signed on to the proposal.
She then addressed the many challenges the administration faces during aid distribution in Gaza. The press secretary defended the efforts being carried out by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S. and Israeli-supported organization established to help distribute aid in the area.
Leavitt said that despite all of the criticisms, the GHF has succeeded in getting food to the people in Gaza for the first time in several months.
The GHF’s operations have been hit with both praise and criticism. Critics have been popping up following an incident in Rafah, which led to chaos at the GHF-operated aid distribution site, resulting in several casualties and injuries.
Officials at the United Nations have slammed the organization, accusing it of politicizing aid in the region. During her defense of the operation, Leavitt underscored the administration’s commitment to addressing the issue of humanitarian aid in the area.
She also pointed out how crucial the ceasefire proposal is to ensuring safe delivery of aid and ultimately working toward a permanent end to the conflict raging between Israel and Gaza.
