By WAFAA SHURAFA, SAM METZ and JULIA FRANKEL, Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday during international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites.

Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, according to an official involved with the visit.

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The official requested anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

All four of the group’s distribution sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and throughout their months in operation have become flashpoints of desperation, where starving people scramble for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling.

The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding.

Witkoff’s visit comes a week after U.S. officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that he was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries as part of an effort “to save lives and end this crisis,” while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages.

International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.”

Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is horded and later sold at exorbitant prices.

In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called it “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.”

Palestinians mourn around the body of a man killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering northern Gaza through the Zikim crossing with Israel, at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israel’s military and prime minister’s office did not respond to request for comment on the report.

A July 30 video published Thursday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated.

“We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,” said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member.

The war between Israel and Hamas started when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive. Most of the others have been released in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians. The ministry operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.

Metz reported from Jerusalem and Frankel from Tel Aviv, Israel.

By ELAINE KURTENBACH, Associated Press Business Writer

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariff rates of up to 41% on U.S. imports from dozens of countries drew expressions of relief Friday from some countries that negotiated a deal or managed to whittle them down from rates announced in April. Others expressed disappointment or frustration over running out of time after hitting Trump’s Aug. 1 deadline for striking deals with America’s trading partners.

The new rates are due to take effect on Aug. 7, but uncertainty over what Trump might do next remains. The way ahead for China, which runs the largest trade surplus with the U.S., is unclear after talks earlier this week in Stockholm produced no deal. Trump has yet to say if he’ll extend an Aug. 12 pause on painfully high import duties on Chinese products.

The reaction from financial markets was muted. Benchmarks fell in Asia, with South Korea’s Kospi dropping nearly 4% after the tariff rate for the U.S. ally was set at 15%. The U.S. dollar weakened against the Japanese yen, trading at more than 150 yen per dollar.

For Canada and Switzerland, regret and disappointment

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government was disappointed by Trump’s move to raise the U.S. tariff on goods from America’s northern neighbor to 35% from 25%, effective Friday. Goods transshipped from unspecified other countries face a 40% import duty.

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Trump cited what he said was a lack of cooperation in stemming trafficking in illicit drugs across the northern border. He also slammed Canada’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state and has expressed frustration with a trade deficit largely fueled by U.S. oil purchases.

“Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce these volumes,” Carney said in a statement.

Many of Canada’s exports to the U.S. are covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and face no tariff. But steel, lumber, aluminum and autos have been subject to still higher tariffs.

Switzerland was reeling after Trump ordered a 39% tariff rate for the land of luxury watches, pharmaceuticals and financial services. That was up from his original proposal of a 31% duty.

“The Federal Council notes with great regret that, despite the progress made in bilateral talks and Switzerland’s very constructive stance from the outset, the U.S. intends to impose unilateral additional tariffs on imports from Switzerland,” the government said in a post on X. It said it would continue to seek a negotiated solution.

Still working on it

New Zealand officials said Friday they would keep lobbying Trump to cut the 15% tariff he announced for their country’s exports to the U.S., up from the original 10% baseline set in April.

“We don’t think this is a good thing. We don’t think it’s warranted,” Trade Minister Todd McClay told Radio New Zealand. The exporter of meat, dairy, wine and farm machinery ran a $1.1 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 2024, according to U.S. Trade Representative data.

McClay said New Zealand exporters had reported they could absorb a 10% tariff or pass it on to U.S. consumers through increased costs. A further increase would “change the equation,” he said.

Neither New Zealand nor its neighbor Australia have struck tariff deals with the Trump administration. Australian steel and aluminum exports have faced a steep 50% tariff since June.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell said the 10% overall tariff on Australia’s exports to the United States was a vindication of his government’s “cool and calm negotiations.” But he said even that level was not justified. The U.S. exports twice as much to Australia as it imports from its bilateral free trade partner, and Australia imposes no tariffs on U.S. exports.

Objecting to a 15% tariff rate, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told the newspaper VG the Scandinavian country should have “zero tariffs.” He said talks were continuing.

Japan watches, while Taiwan keeps trying for a deal

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi was cautious in welcoming Trump’s executive order setting Japan’s tariff at 15% after the two sides worked out an agreement, much to Tokyo’s relief.

“We believe it is necessary to carefully examine the details of the measure,” Hayashi said. “The Japanese government will continue to urge the U.S. side to promptly implement measures to carry out the recent agreement, including reducing tariffs on automobiles and auto parts.”

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said the self-ruled island had yet to engage in final negotiations with the U.S. side owing to scheduling difficulties and that he was hopeful the final tariff rate would be reduced even further after a final round of talks.

The Trump administration lowered its tariff for Taiwan to 20% from the originally proposed 32%. Taiwan is a key supplier of advanced semiconductors needed for many products and technologies.

“20% from the beginning has not been our goal, we hope that in further negotiations we will get a more beneficial and more reasonable tax rate,” Lai told reporters in Taipei Friday.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s largest ally even though it does not formally recognize the island. “We want to strengthen U.S. Taiwan cooperation in national security, tech, and multiple areas,” Lai said.

For some trading partners, relief that tariffs are lower than they might be

Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, who led his nation’s trade talks with the United States, thanked Trump for setting the tariff rate on Cambodian goods at 19% and said his country will impose zero tariffs on American goods.

The rate for Cambodia that Trump proposed in April was 49%, one of the highest in the world. He said the U.S. estimated average Cambodian tariffs on U.S. exports at 97%.

Cambodia has agreed to up purchases of U.S. goods. Sun said it would purchase 10 passenger aircraft from Boeing in a deal they hoped to sign later this month. Several other nations had already announced similar aircraft purchase deals as part of their trade packages.

Trump had threatened to withhold trade deals from Cambodia and Thailand if they didn’t end an armed conflict over border territory. The two nations agreed on a ceasefire that began Tuesday.

Thailand also is subject to a 19% tariff, a rate that its Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said “reflects the strong friendship and close partnership between Thailand and the United States.” That was down from 36% proposed earlier.

“The outcome of this negotiation signals that Thailand must accelerate its adaptation and move forward in building a stable and resilient economy, ready to face global challenges ahead,” he said.

Pakistan welcomed a trade deal that sets a 19% duty on its exports, lower than the initial plan for 29%, saying in a government statement that it was a “balanced and forward-looking approach” that could boost trade and economic growth.

For Bangladesh, a new 20% tariff warded off an earlier threat of a 35% import duty for the South Asian exporter of garments and other light manufactured goods. “That’s good news for our apparel sector and the millions who depend on it,” said Khalilur Rahman, the country’s national security advisor and lead negotiator.

“We’ve also preserved our global competitiveness and opened up new opportunities to access the world’s largest consumer market” Rahman said. “Protecting our apparel industry was a top priority, but we also focused our purchase commitments on U.S. agricultural products. This supports our food security goals and fosters goodwill with U.S. farming states.”

AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report.

Today is Friday, Aug. 1, the 213th day of 2025. There are 152 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On August 1, 1981, MTV began its American broadcast; the first music video aired on the new cable TV network was “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by The Buggles.

Also on this date:

In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state in the Union, less than a month after the US Centennial (earning it the nickname “the Centennial State”).

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In 1907, a week-long boys’ camping event began on Brownsea Island in southern England, organized by Robert Baden-Powell; the event is now marked as the beginning of the Scout Movement.

In 1936, Adolf Hitler presided over the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Berlin .

In 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi occupation; the revolt lasted two months before collapsing.

In 1957, the United States and Canada announced they had agreed to create the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

In 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, went on an armed rampage at the University of Texas in Austin that killed 14 people, most of whom were shot by Whitman while he was perched in the clock tower of the main campus building.

In 1971, The Concert for Bangladesh, an all-star benefit organized by George Harrison of The Beatles and sitar player Ravi Shankar, was held at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In 2001, Pro Bowl tackle Korey Stringer, 27, died of heat stroke, a day after collapsing at the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp on the hottest day of the year.

In 2004, the Ycuá Bolaños supermarket fire in Asuncion, Paraguay killed more than 400 people.

In 2007, the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people.

In 2014, a medical examiner ruled that a New York City police officer’s chokehold caused the death of Eric Garner, whose videotaped arrest and final pleas of “I can’t breathe!” had sparked outrage.

In 2023, former President Donald Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and obstruction charges related to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Giancarlo Giannini is 83.
Basketball Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams is 75.
Blues musician Robert Cray is 72.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum is 69.
Rock singer Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) is 66.
Rapper Chuck D (Public Enemy) is 65.
Actor John Carroll Lynch is 62.
Rock singer Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) is 61.
Film director Sam Mendes is 60.
Actor Tempestt Bledsoe is 52.
Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James is 47.
Actor Jason Momoa is 46.

Could Be Worse

Somewhere in the not-too-distant future, two young friends — or perhaps cuddle buddies or lovers — accomplish missions throughout an underground metropolis savaged by capitalism to make ever-elusive rent, while facing flaky clients, bandits and low credit scores.

“Neon Breeze” conveys a semblance of a post-apocalyptic scene well, owing to it being played at the cavernous Southern Theater. Otherwise, the show is hard to understand. Perhaps it’s because of the drawn-out dialogue between the action scenes. Perhaps it’s also because I don’t understand German, or how different people experience love.

Presented by The House In The Woods at the Southern Theater; 1:00 p.m. Aug. 2, 7:00 p.m. Aug. 7, 10:00 p.m. Aug. 8, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 10

Still trying to decide what to see? Check out all the 2025 Fringe reviews at twincities.com/tag/fringe-festival, with each show rated on a scale of Must See, Worth Considering, Could Be Worse or You Can Skip It.

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is presenting nearly 100 hourlong stage acts from July 31 through Aug. 10 around Minneapolis. Visit MinnesotaFringe.org for ticket and show information.

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