Latest news with #civil defence
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Pope Leo slams 'barbarity' of Gaza war as civil defence says Israeli gunfire kills 44
Gaza 's civil defence agency on Sunday said at least 44 people were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians waiting to collect humanitarian aid, in the latest killing of Palestinians seeking desperately needed food handouts. "As of this moment, 44 people have been killed and dozens injured after Israeli forces opened fire on civilians waiting for aid," civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that the shooting took place near Gaza City in the territory's north. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near food points in Gaza have become a regular occurrence, with the territory's authorities frequently blaming Israeli fire. Addressing the ongoing conflict in his traditional Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV slammed the "barbarity" of the war in the Palestinian territory and urged against the "indiscriminate use of force". His plea came just days after a deadly strike by Israel's military on a Catholic church in Gaza. "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 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 church 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 and 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 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".
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Israeli gunfire kills 26 near Gaza aid distribution centres, civil defence says
Gaza 's civil defence agency on Saturday said Israeli attacks killed 26 people and wounded more than 100 near two aid centres in the south of the Palestinian territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP that 22 were killed near a site southwest of Khan Yunis and four near another centre northwest of Rafah, blaming "Israeli gunfire" for both. One eyewitness said he headed to the Al-Tina area of Khan Yunis before dawn with five of his relatives to try to get food when "Israeli soldiers" started shooting. "My relatives and I were unable to get anything," Abdul Aziz Abed, 37, told AFP. "Every day I go there and all we get is bullets and exhaustion instead of food." The Israeli military said it was "looking into" the claims when contacted by AFP. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the local population. The more than two million people who live in the densely populated coastal territory are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials, and doctors have reported a spike in acute malnutrition. Deaths of people waiting for handouts in huge crowds near aid distribution centres have become a regular occurrence, with the Palestinian authorities blaming Israeli fire. The civil defence agency reported that nine people were shot and killed near the same aid point in the Al-Shakoush area northwest of Rafah on Friday. The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which took over the running of aid distribution in late May, said 20 people died in Khan Yunis on Wednesday. But it blamed "agitators in the crowd... armed and affiliated with Hamas" for creating "a chaotic and dangerous surge" and firing at aid-seekers. The previous day, the UN said it had recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food, including 674 "in the vicinity of GHF sites", since it began operating. The free flow of aid into Gaza is a key demand of Hamas in indirect talks with Israel for a 60-day ceasefire in the 21-month war
Free Malaysia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Israeli strikes in north and south Gaza leave 14 dead
Four people were killed in an air strike in the Jabalia al-Nazla area in Gaza's north. (AP pic) GAZA CITY : Gaza's civil defence agency said today that Israeli strikes killed 14 people in the north and south of the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The emergency service said fighter jets conducted air strikes and there was artillery shelling and gunfire in the early morning in areas north of the southern city of Khan Younis. Agency official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said 10 people were killed in two separate strikes in the Khan Younis area, with one hitting a house and the other tents sheltering displaced people. In Gaza's north, four people were killed in an air strike in the Jabalia al-Nazla area, he added. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which asked for exact coordinates to look into the reports when contacted by AFP. The latest strikes came after Israel said it mistakenly hit Gaza's only Catholic church with a 'stray' round yesterday, killing three and provoking international condemnation. On Wednesday, at least 20 people were killed in a crush at a food aid distribution centre in the south of the territory run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas began in the Qatari capital Doha on July 6 to try to agree on a 60-day ceasefire after 21 months of hostilities. The war was sparked by Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023 which led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,667 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
