State Department reiterates commitment to humanitarian aid for Gaza, calls reported comments endorsing attacks on aid unconfirmed

A State Department spokesperson said Friday that the United States remains committed to delivering humanitarian aid into Gaza and called a reported comment by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir endorsing attacks on food and aid depots unconfirmed.

When a reporter asked about a reported remark by Ben‑Gvir at a dinner at Mar‑a‑Lago that “The U.S. approves bombing food and aid depots in Gaza,” the spokesperson said that report was “from one individual” and had not been confirmed. The spokesperson said the report was “in complete contradiction to the nature of our commitment to getting food aid and assistance” into Gaza.

The spokesperson reiterated that the administration’s “North Star” is stopping the slaughter and getting aid into Gaza. On questions about whether the administration presses Israel to lift blockades, the spokesperson said the United States supports the flow of humanitarian aid “with safeguards to ensure assistance is not diverted, looted, or misused by terrorist groups such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”

Reporters asked whether aid deliveries are being conditioned on ceasefires. The spokesperson said there are precedents for getting aid into conflict zones while fighting continues but declined to describe ongoing private negotiations or Israeli operational decisions on the record. The briefing reiterated that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has worked on achieving and re‑establishing temporary pauses that permit aid deliveries.

The department did not provide a timetable or concrete new commitments for additional deliveries at the briefing. The spokesperson said the administration continues to seek ways to increase humanitarian flows while guarding against diversion.