Pope Slams ‘Barbarity’ of Israeli Attacks, Siege on Gaza
Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong rebuke of the continued Israeli atrocities in Gaza, urging an immediate end to “the barbarity of the war” and calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
His remarks came as Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that at least 93 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while queuing for aid near the northern Zikim crossing on Sunday.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, those killed had been waiting for food from UN aid trucks when they came under fire. It was one of the deadliest incidents in a series of attacks on civilians attempting to access humanitarian supplies.
Elsewhere in the enclave, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Basal reported that nine people were shot and killed near an aid distribution point in Rafah, and four others died in a similar incident in Khan Younis. These attacks occurred within a day of previous fatalities in the same areas.
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The Israeli military acknowledged firing at a large crowd in northern Gaza, claiming the group posed a threat.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said a 25-truck convoy carrying food aid was met by "massive crowds of hungry civilians" near Gaza City. The group came under gunfire, the WFP noted, adding in a statement: “WFP reiterates that any violence involving civilians seeking humanitarian aid is completely unacceptable.”
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital, told the Associated Press that 48 bodies and over 150 wounded had arrived at the hospital from the Zikim crossing. He said it remained unclear whether Israeli forces, armed groups, or both were responsible.
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During his weekly Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV also expressed sorrow over an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, which killed three people and injured 10 others. Among the injured was the parish priest, known for his close relationship with the late Pope Francis.
“This act, unfortunately, adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” said the pontiff.
He went on to appeal to world leaders, urging them “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.”
At least 58,895 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 140,000 injured since the war began on October 7, 2023.
Source: Agencies
