
Ukraine, Russia drone strikes after latest peace talks
Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours.
In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station.
The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said.
Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled.
Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.
Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.
The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.
"We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily."
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv.
Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill.
The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.
with DPA
Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war.
Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours.
In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station.
The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said.
Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled.
Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.
Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.
The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.
"We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily."
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv.
Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill.
The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.
with DPA
Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war.
Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours.
In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station.
The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said.
Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled.
Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.
Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.
The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.
"We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily."
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv.
Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill.
The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.
with DPA
Ukraine and Russia have launched drone strikes against each other within hours of finishing the latest round of direct talks aimed at ending nearly three and half years of war.
Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot.
Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings.
Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi.
A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries.
The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details.
Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours.
In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station.
The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said.
Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled.
Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders.
Meanwhile the US State Department has approved $US322 million ($A489 million) in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defence capabilities and provide armoured combat vehicles, as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.
The approvals come weeks after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed a pause on other weapons shipments to Ukraine to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles, in a move that caught the White House by surprise.
"We have to," Trump said. "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now. We're going to send some more weapons — defensive weapons primarily."
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the US has provided more than $US67 billion ($A102 billion) in weapons and security assistance to Kyiv.
Since Trump came back into office, his administration has gone back and forth about providing more military aid to Ukraine, with political pressure to stop US funding of foreign wars coming from the isolationists inside the Trump administration and on Capitol Hill.
The US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia.
with DPA
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The Advertiser
20 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Stocks slump on latest tariffs, soft jobs data
US stocks slumped on Friday, and the S&P suffered its biggest daily percentage decline in more than two months as new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners and a surprisingly weak jobs report spurred selling pressure. Also weighing on equities was an 8.3 per cent tumble in shares after the company posted quarterly results but failed to meet lofty expectations for its Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit. Just hours before the tariff deadline on Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing duties on US imports from countries, including Canada, Brazil, India and Taiwan, in his latest round of levies as countries attempted to seek ways to reach better deals. Further denting confidence in the economic picture, data showed US job growth slowed more than expected in July while the prior month's report was revised sharply lower, indicating the labour market may be starting to crack. The report significantly pushed up expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its September meeting. "There's no way to pretty-up this report. Previous months were revised significantly lower where the labour market has been on stall-speed," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. "Last year the Fed messed up by not cutting in July so they did a catch-up cut at their next meeting. They'll likely have to do the same thing this year." Market expectations the Fed will cut rates by at least 25 basis points at its September meeting stood at 86.5 per cent, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, up from 37.7 per cent in the prior session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 542.40 points, or 1.23 per cent, to 43,588.58, the S&P 500 lost 101.38 points, or 1.60 per cent, to 6,238.01 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 472.32 points, or 2.24 per cent, to 20,650.13. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest single-day percentage decline since May 21 while the Nasdaq suffered its biggest daily percentage drop since April 21. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 2.36 per cent, the Nasdaq declined 2.17 per cent, and the Dow fell 2.92 per cent. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, closed up 3.66 points at 20.38, its highest close since June 20. Amazon was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq and pushed the consumer discretionary index, down nearly 3.6 per cent as the worst performing of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors. Also reporting earnings was Apple, which lost 2.5 per cent after it posted a current-quarter revenue forecast well above Wall Street estimates, but CEO Tim Cook warned US tariffs would add $US1.1 billion ($A1.7 billion) in costs over the period. Stocks briefly extended declines after Trump said he ordered the commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika L. McEntarfer, to be fired in the wake of the jobs data. "(Trump) didn't seem to be disappointed with the last five jobs reports," said Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist, B. Riley Wealth, Boston, saying that the firing stood out as irregular. "I think this is clearly something that happens in dictatorships, not in democracies." The Federal Reserve said Governor Adriana Kugler is resigning early from her term and will exit the central bank on Aug. 8, enabling President Donald Trump to select a new governor as he has ramped up pressure against Chair Jerome Powell recently to cut interest rates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.17-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and 29 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 202 new lows. Volume on US exchanges was 19.51 billion shares, compared with the 18.44 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. US stocks slumped on Friday, and the S&P suffered its biggest daily percentage decline in more than two months as new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners and a surprisingly weak jobs report spurred selling pressure. Also weighing on equities was an 8.3 per cent tumble in shares after the company posted quarterly results but failed to meet lofty expectations for its Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit. Just hours before the tariff deadline on Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing duties on US imports from countries, including Canada, Brazil, India and Taiwan, in his latest round of levies as countries attempted to seek ways to reach better deals. Further denting confidence in the economic picture, data showed US job growth slowed more than expected in July while the prior month's report was revised sharply lower, indicating the labour market may be starting to crack. The report significantly pushed up expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its September meeting. "There's no way to pretty-up this report. Previous months were revised significantly lower where the labour market has been on stall-speed," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. "Last year the Fed messed up by not cutting in July so they did a catch-up cut at their next meeting. They'll likely have to do the same thing this year." Market expectations the Fed will cut rates by at least 25 basis points at its September meeting stood at 86.5 per cent, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, up from 37.7 per cent in the prior session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 542.40 points, or 1.23 per cent, to 43,588.58, the S&P 500 lost 101.38 points, or 1.60 per cent, to 6,238.01 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 472.32 points, or 2.24 per cent, to 20,650.13. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest single-day percentage decline since May 21 while the Nasdaq suffered its biggest daily percentage drop since April 21. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 2.36 per cent, the Nasdaq declined 2.17 per cent, and the Dow fell 2.92 per cent. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, closed up 3.66 points at 20.38, its highest close since June 20. Amazon was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq and pushed the consumer discretionary index, down nearly 3.6 per cent as the worst performing of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors. Also reporting earnings was Apple, which lost 2.5 per cent after it posted a current-quarter revenue forecast well above Wall Street estimates, but CEO Tim Cook warned US tariffs would add $US1.1 billion ($A1.7 billion) in costs over the period. Stocks briefly extended declines after Trump said he ordered the commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika L. McEntarfer, to be fired in the wake of the jobs data. "(Trump) didn't seem to be disappointed with the last five jobs reports," said Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist, B. Riley Wealth, Boston, saying that the firing stood out as irregular. "I think this is clearly something that happens in dictatorships, not in democracies." The Federal Reserve said Governor Adriana Kugler is resigning early from her term and will exit the central bank on Aug. 8, enabling President Donald Trump to select a new governor as he has ramped up pressure against Chair Jerome Powell recently to cut interest rates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.17-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and 29 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 202 new lows. Volume on US exchanges was 19.51 billion shares, compared with the 18.44 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. US stocks slumped on Friday, and the S&P suffered its biggest daily percentage decline in more than two months as new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners and a surprisingly weak jobs report spurred selling pressure. Also weighing on equities was an 8.3 per cent tumble in shares after the company posted quarterly results but failed to meet lofty expectations for its Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit. Just hours before the tariff deadline on Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing duties on US imports from countries, including Canada, Brazil, India and Taiwan, in his latest round of levies as countries attempted to seek ways to reach better deals. Further denting confidence in the economic picture, data showed US job growth slowed more than expected in July while the prior month's report was revised sharply lower, indicating the labour market may be starting to crack. The report significantly pushed up expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its September meeting. "There's no way to pretty-up this report. Previous months were revised significantly lower where the labour market has been on stall-speed," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. "Last year the Fed messed up by not cutting in July so they did a catch-up cut at their next meeting. They'll likely have to do the same thing this year." Market expectations the Fed will cut rates by at least 25 basis points at its September meeting stood at 86.5 per cent, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, up from 37.7 per cent in the prior session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 542.40 points, or 1.23 per cent, to 43,588.58, the S&P 500 lost 101.38 points, or 1.60 per cent, to 6,238.01 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 472.32 points, or 2.24 per cent, to 20,650.13. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest single-day percentage decline since May 21 while the Nasdaq suffered its biggest daily percentage drop since April 21. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 2.36 per cent, the Nasdaq declined 2.17 per cent, and the Dow fell 2.92 per cent. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, closed up 3.66 points at 20.38, its highest close since June 20. Amazon was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq and pushed the consumer discretionary index, down nearly 3.6 per cent as the worst performing of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors. Also reporting earnings was Apple, which lost 2.5 per cent after it posted a current-quarter revenue forecast well above Wall Street estimates, but CEO Tim Cook warned US tariffs would add $US1.1 billion ($A1.7 billion) in costs over the period. Stocks briefly extended declines after Trump said he ordered the commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika L. McEntarfer, to be fired in the wake of the jobs data. "(Trump) didn't seem to be disappointed with the last five jobs reports," said Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist, B. Riley Wealth, Boston, saying that the firing stood out as irregular. "I think this is clearly something that happens in dictatorships, not in democracies." The Federal Reserve said Governor Adriana Kugler is resigning early from her term and will exit the central bank on Aug. 8, enabling President Donald Trump to select a new governor as he has ramped up pressure against Chair Jerome Powell recently to cut interest rates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.17-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and 29 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 202 new lows. Volume on US exchanges was 19.51 billion shares, compared with the 18.44 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days. US stocks slumped on Friday, and the S&P suffered its biggest daily percentage decline in more than two months as new US tariffs on dozens of trading partners and a surprisingly weak jobs report spurred selling pressure. Also weighing on equities was an 8.3 per cent tumble in shares after the company posted quarterly results but failed to meet lofty expectations for its Amazon Web Services cloud computing unit. Just hours before the tariff deadline on Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing duties on US imports from countries, including Canada, Brazil, India and Taiwan, in his latest round of levies as countries attempted to seek ways to reach better deals. Further denting confidence in the economic picture, data showed US job growth slowed more than expected in July while the prior month's report was revised sharply lower, indicating the labour market may be starting to crack. The report significantly pushed up expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its September meeting. "There's no way to pretty-up this report. Previous months were revised significantly lower where the labour market has been on stall-speed," said Brian Jacobsen, Chief Economist at Annex Wealth Management in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. "Last year the Fed messed up by not cutting in July so they did a catch-up cut at their next meeting. They'll likely have to do the same thing this year." Market expectations the Fed will cut rates by at least 25 basis points at its September meeting stood at 86.5 per cent, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, up from 37.7 per cent in the prior session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 542.40 points, or 1.23 per cent, to 43,588.58, the S&P 500 lost 101.38 points, or 1.60 per cent, to 6,238.01 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 472.32 points, or 2.24 per cent, to 20,650.13. The S&P 500 recorded its biggest single-day percentage decline since May 21 while the Nasdaq suffered its biggest daily percentage drop since April 21. For the week, the S&P 500 fell 2.36 per cent, the Nasdaq declined 2.17 per cent, and the Dow fell 2.92 per cent. The CBOE Volatility Index, also known as Wall Street's fear gauge, closed up 3.66 points at 20.38, its highest close since June 20. Amazon was the biggest drag on the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq and pushed the consumer discretionary index, down nearly 3.6 per cent as the worst performing of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors. Also reporting earnings was Apple, which lost 2.5 per cent after it posted a current-quarter revenue forecast well above Wall Street estimates, but CEO Tim Cook warned US tariffs would add $US1.1 billion ($A1.7 billion) in costs over the period. Stocks briefly extended declines after Trump said he ordered the commissioner of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika L. McEntarfer, to be fired in the wake of the jobs data. "(Trump) didn't seem to be disappointed with the last five jobs reports," said Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist, B. Riley Wealth, Boston, saying that the firing stood out as irregular. "I think this is clearly something that happens in dictatorships, not in democracies." The Federal Reserve said Governor Adriana Kugler is resigning early from her term and will exit the central bank on Aug. 8, enabling President Donald Trump to select a new governor as he has ramped up pressure against Chair Jerome Powell recently to cut interest rates. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.17-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.69-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted eight new 52-week highs and 29 new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 29 new highs and 202 new lows. Volume on US exchanges was 19.51 billion shares, compared with the 18.44 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.

The Age
30 minutes ago
- The Age
‘Rigged': The jobs numbers came in and they were bad. Trump fired the stats boss
Washington: US President Donald Trump ordered the dismissal of the country's labour statistics commissioner following a shock employment report which he alleged, without evidence, was 'rigged' for political purposes. The Bureau of Labour Statistics found only 73,000 jobs were created in the world's biggest economy in July, well below market expectations, and significantly revised down the figures for May and June. 'Larger than normal' revisions concluded only 19,000 jobs were created in May, not 144,000, and only 14,000 jobs were created in June, not 147,000. In total, the numbers were revised down by 258,000 over two months. Trump – who spent much of the week saying the US was 'the hottest country in the world' after gross domestic product figures showed the economy rebounded to grow 3 per cent in the June quarter – immediately went on the attack and ordered the sacking of the commissioner, Erika McEntarfer. 'I was just informed that our country's 'Jobs Numbers' are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer … who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala's chances of Victory,' Trump claimed on TruthSocial, citing previous corrections from 2024 when Biden was president. 'We need accurate Jobs Numbers. I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY. She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified. Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes.' Trump added that in his opinion, the figures were 'rigged' to make Republicans, himself included, look bad. Despite the Labour Department trumpeting the July jobs growth figure earlier in the day, Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer promptly confirmed McEntarfer had been terminated following Trump's orders, with the deputy commissioner now serving in an acting capacity.

Sky News AU
35 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Gaza aid operation which UN calls unsafe as humanitarian crises worsens
Donald Trump's Middle East envoy has visited a US-backed aid operation in Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis worsens due to food shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's (GHF) distribution sites in Rafah, on Friday. Humanitarian organisations and many foreign governments have been strongly critical of the GHF, which began operations in late May. A global hunger monitor warned this week of the famine unfolding in Gaza. The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The Israeli military acknowledged its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The U.N. has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points, and that it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the U.N. GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement President Trump understands the crisis in Gaza after '100,000,0000 meals delivered' to Palestinians. "President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority," Mr Fay said. Mr Witkoff said on X he had also met with other agencies. "The purpose of the visit was to give @POTUS (Trump) a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza," he said. Mr Witkoff visited Gaza a day after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel faces growing international pressure over the devastation of Gaza since the start of the war and growing starvation among 2.2 million Palestinians. Israel blames Hamas and the U.N. for the failure of food to get to desperate Palestinians in Gaza and introduced the GHF distribution system, saying it would prevent aid supplies being seized by Hamas. Hamas denies stealing aid. Gaza medics say dozens have died of malnutrition in recent days after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March-May. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. On Friday, the Israeli military said 200 trucks of aid were distributed by the U.N. and other organisations on Thursday, with hundreds more waiting to be picked up from the border crossings inside Gaza. The U.N. says it has thousands of trucks still waiting, if Israel would let them in without the stringent security measures that aid groups say have prevented the entry of humanitarian assistance. Indirect negotiations between the sides aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release deal ended last week in deadlock. The Gaza war started after Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages following an attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. With Reuters