US envoy Witkoff says there is ‘no starvation’ in Gaza following aid site visits

His comments would seem to contradict earlier remarks by President Trump that there was "real starvation" in the enclave, but Witkoff said he had been sent by the White House to determine the facts.

"Our first priority is to bring all the hostages home. President Trump believes everyone should come out, and those who are alive must be kept alive. This is a sacred mission to him,” he added.

Responding to his comments, Hamas said it would not agree to make peace and disarm until it had seen a “full restoration of our national rights, foremost among them the establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.

It comes as the Trump administration seemingly ruled out the prospect of further phased hostage-ceasefire deals in favour of an "all or nothing" approach.

Witkoff told the same meeting: "President Trump now believes that everybody ought to come home at once - no piecemeal deals. That doesn't work.

"Now we have to get all the 20 [live hostages] at the same time... we think that we have to shift this negotiation to all or nothing so that everybody comes home.

"We think it is going to be successful and we have a plan around it."

Negotiations have stalled after both sides seemingly pulled out. Hamas has said it will not return to the table until more aid enters Gaza, while Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Jerusalem would not participate in any further talks.

"There will be no more negotiations with Hamas on a deal for the release of hostages,” the Religious Zionism leader told a conference last night.

"From here on, the only possible deal is a total surrender of Hamas, the unconditional return of all our hostages, the dismantling of its armed force, the demilitarisation of Gaza, the exile of the head of Hamas and to allow all those who want to leave Gaza to do so.”