CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (BN24) — Pope Leo XIV has delivered a stinging denunciation of what he called the “barbarity” and “indiscriminate use of force” in Gaza, as reports emerged that at least 85 Palestinians were killed while trying to access food aid amid the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged territory.
Speaking after Sunday’s Angelus prayer from his summer residence near Rome, the pontiff expressed outrage at both the scale of the violence and the mounting civilian toll. “I call for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Pope Leo said, decrying what he described as violations of international law, including collective punishment and forced displacement.
His remarks came just hours after Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that dozens were killed in separate incidents—most of them in northern Gaza—while waiting for aid trucks at the Zikim crossing with Israel. Officials said 69 of the dead had been struck by Israeli fire as they waited in food queues, with more than 150 others wounded.
The UN’s World Food Programme confirmed a convoy of 25 trucks carrying food was met by large crowds of starving civilians, who were then fired upon. “Any violence involving civilians seeking humanitarian aid is completely unacceptable,” the WFP said.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, told the Associated Press the hospital had received 48 bodies and at least 150 injured victims from the Zikim area alone. He could not verify whether the gunfire came from Israeli forces, local armed groups, or both.
The Israeli military acknowledged firing on a large crowd of Palestinians it claimed posed a threat but disputed the casualty figures reported by Gazan officials, saying initial assessments showed significantly lower numbers.
The death toll is only the latest grim marker of Gaza’s deteriorating humanitarian situation. The UN says that since July 13, at least 875 people have been killed attempting to access food—674 near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution points and 201 near UN aid convoys or along access routes. Children have reportedly died while trying to fetch water for their families.
Meanwhile, the pope voiced anguish over a separate Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church last week, which killed three people and wounded 10, including the parish priest. The Church of the Holy Family had been sheltering some 600 displaced people, many of them children and those with special needs. Israel expressed “deep sorrow” and launched an investigation.
“This act, unfortunately, adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” Pope Leo said. “I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians.”
UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, echoed the pope’s concern. It accused Israel of “starving civilians in Gaza,” including 1 million children, and said it has enough food stockpiled in Egypt to feed the population for over three months. “Open the gates, lift the siege, allow UNRWA to do its work,” the agency said.
The Israeli government has banned UNRWA from operating in Gaza and the West Bank, alleging infiltration by Hamas. However, an independent review concluded Israel had not produced credible evidence to support those claims. UNRWA had historically been Gaza’s principal aid distributor, providing essential services in health and education.
Since May, aid has been coordinated primarily by the GHF—a body backed by the U.S. and Israel—but shortages remain severe under Israel’s continuing blockade, imposed in early March.
In a further escalation, Israel on Sunday issued evacuation orders for several districts in central Gaza, including parts of Deir al-Balah, a zone previously spared from ground offensives. The area is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians and key international aid groups.
Israeli warplanes struck multiple homes in the district, triggering another mass displacement, according to residents. Leaflets dropped from aircraft ordered civilians to flee south.
The orders have alarmed the families of Israeli hostages, who suspect some of the captives are being held in these areas. “Can anyone promise us that this decision will not come at the cost of losing our loved ones?” the families asked in a joint statement.
The Israeli military said its troops would “continue to operate with great force to destroy the enemy’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area,” while stressing that it had not yet entered the new evacuation zones during this war phase.
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed roughly 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and abducted 251. Since then, at least 58,895 Palestinians have been killed and 140,980 wounded by Israeli strikes, according to the Gaza health ministry.
