logo
Gaza health ministry says Israeli fire has killed 67 Palestinians waiting for aid trucks as Pope Leo brands war 'barbaric' and calls for its end

Gaza health ministry says Israeli fire has killed 67 Palestinians waiting for aid trucks as Pope Leo brands war 'barbaric' and calls for its end

Daily Mail​3 days ago
Israeli fire has killed 67 Palestinians waiting for aid trucks, Gaza 's Hamas-run health ministry has claimed.
The ministry said dozens of people were also wounded in the incident in northern Gaza, in one of the highest reported tolls among repeated recent cases in which aid seekers have been killed, including 36 on Saturday.
Six other people were killed near another aid site in the south, it claimed.
The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots towards a crowd of thousands in northern Gaza on Sunday to remove what it said was 'an immediate threat'.
It said initial findings suggested reported casualty figures were inflated, and it 'certainly does not intentionally target humanitarian aid trucks'.
The latest tragedy comes as Pope Leo XIV slammed the 'barbarity' of the war in Gaza on Sunday and urged against the 'indiscriminate use of force'.
His intervention comes just days after a deadly strike by Israel's military on a Catholic church.
'I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' Leo said at the end of the Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome.
The pope, who spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the morning after Thursday's strike, spoke of his 'deep sorrow' for the attack on the Holy Family Church.
The church was sheltering around 600 displaced people, the majority of them children, including dozens of people with special needs.
Israel expressed 'deep sorrow' over the damage and civilian casualties, adding that the military was investigating the strike.
'This act, unfortunately, adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,' Leo said on Sunday.
'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' he added.
The latest humanitarian disaster comes as Israel issued new evacuation orders for areas packed with displaced Gazans, some of whom began to leave.
The Israeli military on Sunday issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip, warning of imminent action against Hamas militants.
Most of Gaza's population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war, which is now in its 22nd month.
The pope also expressed his 'sympathy' for the plight of 'beloved Middle Eastern Christians' and their 'sense of being able to do little in the face of this dramatic situation'.
In total, health authorities in Gaza said 88 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday.
After Israel's military dropped leaflets urging people to evacuate from neighbourhoods in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah, residents said Israeli planes struck three houses in the area.
Dozens of families began leaving their homes, carrying some of their belongings. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans have been sheltering in the Deir al-Balah area.
Israel's military said it had not entered the districts subject to the evacuation order during the current conflict and that it was continuing 'to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area'.
Israeli sources have said the reason the army has so far stayed out is because they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there. At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to still be alive.
Hostage families demanded an explanation from the army.
'Can anyone (promise) to us that this decision will not come at the cost of losing our loved ones?' the families said in a statement.
Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of war and there are fears of accelerating starvation.
Palestinian health officials said hundreds of people could soon die as hospitals were inundated with patients suffering from dizziness and exhaustion due to the scarcity of food and a collapse in aid deliveries.
'We warn that hundreds of people whose bodies have wasted away are at risk of imminent death due to hunger,' the health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said.
The United Nations also said on Sunday that civilians were starving and needed an urgent influx of aid.
Residents said it was becoming impossible to find essential food such as flour. The Gaza health ministry said at least 71 children had died of malnutrition during the war, and 60,000 others were suffering from symptoms of malnutrition.
Later on Sunday, it said 18 people have died of hunger in the past 24 hours.
Food prices have increased well beyond what most of the population of more than two million can afford.
Several people who spoke to the Reuters news agency via chat apps said they either had one meal or no meal in the past 24 hours.
'As a father, I wake up in the early morning to look for food, for even a loaf of bread for my five children, but all in vain,' said Ziad, a nurse.
'People who didn't die of bombs will die of hunger. We want an end to this war now, a truce, even for two months,' he told Reuters.
Others said they felt dizzy walking in the streets and that many fainted as they walked. Fathers leave tents to avoid questions by their children about what to eat.
UNRWA, the UN refugee agency dedicated to Palestinians, demanded Israel allow more aid trucks into Gaza, saying it had enough food for the entire population for over three months which was not allowed in.
Israel's military said that it 'views the transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as a matter of utmost importance, and works to enable and facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community'.
Some Palestinians suggested the move on Deir al-Balah might be an attempt to put pressure on Hamas to make more concessions in long-running ceasefire negotiations.
Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Brazil to join South Africa's ICJ case against Israel, source says
Brazil to join South Africa's ICJ case against Israel, source says

Reuters

time10 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Brazil to join South Africa's ICJ case against Israel, source says

BRASILIA, July 23 (Reuters) - Brazil will request to intervene in South Africa's genocide case against Israel's actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. South Africa filed a case in 2023 asking the ICJ to declare that Israel was in breach of its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its crackdown against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. Other countries – such as Spain, Turkey, and Colombia – had already asked the court to intervene in the case. The decision was reported earlier by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo and confirmed by Reuters.

Iranian negotiator doesn't rule out exiting nuclear treaty if sanctions are reimposed
Iranian negotiator doesn't rule out exiting nuclear treaty if sanctions are reimposed

The Independent

time10 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Iranian negotiator doesn't rule out exiting nuclear treaty if sanctions are reimposed

A top Iranian official warned Wednesday that European threats to reimpose sanctions could lead Iran to withdraw from an international pact that limits the spread of nuclear weapons, one of the last remaining safeguards against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi discussed with reporters his country's recourse against further financial punishment ahead of a critical meeting Friday with Britain, France and Germany. The talks between Iran and some of the remaining members of the 2015 nuclear deal, which the U.S. withdrew from in President Donald Trump 's first term, are expected to take place in Istanbul. The three European countries have suggested triggering a so-called snapback provision in that accord that would reimpose sanctions on Iran if there is no progress on a deal to limit its nuclear program by August. The 2015 deal had eased economic penalties on Iran in exchange for restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear program, which Iran has insisted is peaceful. Gharibabadi, who has been part of the nuclear negotiation team, said that despite domestic pressure to withdraw from the separate, older Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, especially in the aftermath of the recent Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites, Iran has remained compliant with the 1970 treaty. 'But, I'm quite confident that if the snapback is triggered, Iran will not show more restraint in this regard,' Gharibabadi said. If Iran does exit the treaty, it will be just the second country to do so, after North Korea in 2003, whose withdrawal has never been formally accepted. The warning from Iran comes as the Trump administration is once again seeking to reach a deal with Tehran on its nuclear program. The two sides had held several rounds of talks before Israel staged a surprise attack in June. Gharibabadi and Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, have remained optimistic that the triggering of sanctions and withdrawal from the treaty can be avoided with 'diplomacy and negotiation.' Gharibabadi said Friday's meeting is very important but that its success will depend on how the Europeans approach Iran this time around. 'We have always valued our meetings with the European countries. But there is an important issue: I think we have always told them that the policies of the European countries should be independent,' he said. 'They should not coordinate their positions with the Americans.' He added, 'If this is the case, why should we negotiate with the Europeans when we can negotiate with the Americans?' Iranian officials, including Gharibabadi, said they are open to proposals on how to prevent further sanctions and 'prevent a more complicated situation.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store