Pope Leo XIV has condemned the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza and the “indiscriminate use of force” as Gaza’s civil defence agency said at least 93 Palestinians had been killed queueing for food. The deaths occurred when Israeli forces opened fire near Gaza City, according to the territory’s health ministry, in one of the bloodiest incidents involving aid seekers.
Gaza’s health ministry said scores were killed while waiting for UN aid trucks entering through the northern Zikim crossing with Israel. The civil defence agency reported nine others shot dead near an aid point close to Rafah and four near another site in Khan Younis. Israel’s military said soldiers fired at a gathering that posed a threat, and acknowledged casualties, but said the figures were far higher than its initial investigation found. The UN World Food Programme said a convoy encountered “massive crowds of hungry civilians” who came under gunfire, adding that violence involving civilians seeking humanitarian aid is “completely unacceptable”.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa hospital, said 48 people had been killed and 150 wounded while seeking aid from lorries expected at Zikim crossing since Sunday morning. He could not say whether the dead had been killed by the Israeli army, armed gangs, or both.
The pope spoke of his anguish over the Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church last week, which killed three people and injured ten, including the parish priest. Israel has expressed “deep sorrow” and opened an investigation. At the end of the Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, the pope appealed to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect obligations to protect civilians, prohibiting collective punishment, indiscriminate force, and forced displacement.
Separately, Israel withdrew the residency permit of Jonathan Whittall, head of office in Israel for the UN’s humanitarian affairs office, accusing him of spreading lies. Fresh evacuation orders were issued for central Gaza, which is packed with displaced people. OCHA called the displacement order “another devastating blow”, while Unrwa said Israeli authorities were “starving civilians in Gaza”, including one million children, despite having food stockpiled for over three months.
