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The German government said it has taken note of "limited initial progress" in aid entering Gaza but said the amount was "very insufficient" to meet the needs of people there. DW has the latest.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yRA9
Many children in Gaza are being treated for severe malnutritionImage: Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo/picture allianceWhat you need to know
Germany airdrops more humanitarian aid into Gaza, with the German government also saying more needed to be done to improve the situation in the territory.
Meanwhile, US envoy Steve Witkoff told families of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas that he would secure a deal to make sure their loved ones return.
Following along for news, analysis and updates on Gaza, Israel, and the Middle East on August 2 and August 3:
08/02/2025August 2, 2025
German military aircraft delivers more humanitarian aid into Gaza
Germany's Bundeswehr armed forces delivered about 9.6 tons of aid into Gaza on Saturday, according to the DPA news agency.
An A400M military transport aircraft dropped 22 pallets of humanitarian aid containing food and medical supplies into Gaza, the report said.
The Israeli military said countries like France, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates delivered about 90 pallets of aid into Gaza on Saturday.
A United Nations-affiliated organization that tracks food security worldwide issued a dire warning earlier this week about the hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip.
It confirmed that, based on data up to July 25, a "worse-case" famine scenario, was unfolding across Gaza.
Israeli authorities control the only three border crossings at the Strip and cut off all supplies to Gaza at the beginning of March.
Israeli authorities then reopened some aid centers in May, but with restrictions they said were designed to stop goods from being stolen by Hamas militants.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US, Germany, the EU and others.
Malnutrition-related deaths spiked in Gaza in July, according to the World Health Organization.
Airdrops have been sharply criticized by some humanitarian groups as expensive, inefficient and dangerous.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yRAA
Skip next section Witkoff tells families of Israeli hostages he will 'bring their children home'08/02/2025August 2, 2025
Witkoff tells families of Israeli hostages he will 'bring their children home'
US envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday visited Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and vowed to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
"We will get your children home and hold Hamas responsible for any bad acts on their part," Witkoff told families of Israeli hostages who had gathered at the square to stage a protest to call upon the Israeli government to secure a deal to release their loved ones from captivity.
Witkoff was cited as saying so, according to a statement by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. He added, "We will do what’s right for the Gazan people."
Protesters had gathered at the square after a video of an Israeli hostage in Gaza was released by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Thursday.
Hamas then released a video of Evyatar David, another Israeli hostage, on Friday. The video showed David in a visibly fragile state. It is unclear when those videos were filmed.
Witkoff on Friday also visited an aid distribution site in southern Gaza run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The foundation has been widely criticized for failing to improve conditions in the besieged enclave.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yRDo
Skip next section Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza08/02/2025August 2, 2025
Germany says 'very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
The amount of aid entering Gaza remains "very insufficient" despite limited improvement, the German government said on Saturday, after ministers discussed ways to heighten pressure on Israel.
Germany "notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation," government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. "Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid," Kornelius added.
German ministers had gathered on Saturday, following German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul's trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories on Thursday and Friday.
Wadephul had called upon Israeli authorities to ensure safe access for United Nations agencies to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying the current restrictions were worsening the crisis.
"The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now," Wadephul had said, stressing that aid distribution through the UN had long worked effectively and needed to resume without obstacles.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yRAB
Skip next section Welcome to our coverageGood evening and welcome to weekend edition of the Middle East blog. We're tracking the news about Germany having delivered more aid into Gaza, as well as US envoy Steve Witkoff's visit to the region.
Witkoff has met with families of Israeli hostages held captive by Hamas and vowed to secure a deal to bring their loved ones home.
But some families were disappointed and said they have would have liked to hear more about practical ways to secure that deal.
Follow along for news, analysis, and explainers on the situation in Gaza, Israel, and the wider Middle East, on the weekend of August 2 and August 3.
https://p.dw.com/p/4yRAD
