Trump has said that Canada's move to recognize a Palestinian state could put a US-Canada trade agreement in jeopardy. Berlin's top diplomat has said that Germany cannot remain passive. DW has the latest. US President Trump says it is 'very hard' to make a trade deal with Canada after Ottawa said it would back Palestinian statehood US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Israel to discuss the hunger crisis in Gaza German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is en route to Israel, where he is expected to push for a ceasefire Here are the headlines from Gaza, Israel, and the wider Middle East on Thursday, July 31. German foreign minister heads to Middle East, says Berlin cannot be passive Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has departed for Israel and the Palestinian territories to hold talks on the worsening situation in Gaza. In a statement ahead of his departure, Wadephul said the trip aims to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the ongoing threat from Hamas and growing international pressure on Israel. "Hamas continues to hold hostages, including German citizens, and is still refusing a ceasefire," Wadephul said. "At the same time, the suffering and deaths in Gaza have reached an unimaginable scale." Wadephul also pointed to increasing international isolation for Israel, citing the recent UN conference in New York and noting that more countries, including some in Europe, are considering recognizing a Palestinian state without waiting for a negotiated peace process. He said the region is at a crossroads, and that Germany, because of its historic responsibility toward Israel, cannot remain passive. NGOs say Gaza airdrops smack of 'cynicism' and are 'futile' As famine-like conditions take hold in Gaza, human rights organizations have criticized plans by Germany and other countries to drop aid in via airlifts. They say this is symbolic politics and inefficient. Read the full story on the criticism levelled at plans to airdrop aid into Gaza. German Foreign Minister leads delegation to Israel A German delegation, led by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is headed to Israel and the occupied West Bank on Thursday for talks with representatives from the Israeli government and the UN. The two-day trip is expected to focus on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Wadephul saying he would push for a ceasefire. "The main goal is definitely a ceasefire," Wadephul told Politico. As for humanitarian aid, he said "the number of victims in the Gaza Strip is too high. We need to ease the suffering of the people there." The visit comes amid increasing international pressure on Israel to end its war, with more and more Western countries pledging to recognize Palestinian statehood. Germany, however, has said it has no short-term plans to recognize a Palestinian state, despite being committed to a two-state solution. Siemtje Möller, the deputy parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), is also part of the delegation. The SPD governs in coalition with Wadephul's center-right CDU. In an interview with public broadcaster ARD on Thursday morning, Möller called for "real pressure" to end the suffering in Gaza. She also suggested that Germany could consider recognizing a Palestinian state sooner than expected. "The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo and doesn't necessarily have to come at the end of a [two-state] process," she said before the flight. US special envoy Steve Witkoff to visit Israel: reports US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to leave for Israel as the US looks to address the worsening starvation crisis in Gaza, according to US media reports. The trip comes in the midst of stalled truce talks between Israel and Palestine's Hamas militant group. Witkoff said last week that the US had withdrawn its negotiating delegation from Qatar over what he called a lack of willingness by Hamas to reach a ceasefire. Israel has also pulled its team from the talks. The US, Qatar and Egypt are mediating between Israel and Hamas, who do not talk directly. Trump says 'very hard' to make trade deal with Canada after decision over Palestinian statehood US President Donald Trump has threatened Canada with repercussions for negotiations on a trade deal after it announced its plans to recognize Palestinian statehood. "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them," Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform. Trump's statement is set to intensify a trade war between US and Canada, just a day ahead of the August 1 deadline to lock a tariff agreement. If the two countries fail to strike an agreement by the deadline, Canada faces a 35% tariff on its goods which are not covered under the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact, On Wednesday, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the possibility of recognizing a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for September. The UK and France have also said over the last week that they would support statehood for Palestine. Welcome to our coverage Canada has joined Britain and France to say that it "intends" to recognize a Palestinian state in September. However, Canada's decision has resulted in threats from US President Donald Trump as a deadline for a trade agreement between the two countries nears. Trump has said that Canada's support for Palestinian statehood would make it difficult for the US to zero-in on an agreement with Canada. Canada will be hit with a 35% tariff on its exports to the US if a deal cannot be reached, the president said. Also, US special envoy Steve Witkoff will reportedly travel to Israel on Thursday in light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Stay up-to-date with this blog as we bring you the latest reports, analyses, and explainers on the situation in Gaza.