Pope urges end to ‘collective punishment’ in Gaza as starvation toll rises

Gaza City/Vatican: At least 10 more Palestinians, including two children, have died of starvation in Gaza within the past 24 hours, health authorities said on Wednesday, bringing the death toll from hunger since the outbreak of war to 313. Among the victims are 119 children.

The worsening crisis prompted Pope Leo XIV to call on Israel to halt its “collective punishment” of civilians in the besieged territory.

Speaking before thousands at the Vatican, the pope urged an immediate ceasefire, safe passage for humanitarian aid, and adherence to international law. “I beg for a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated, and humanitarian law to be fully respected,” he said, drawing repeated applause.

The UN has already confirmed that Gaza is experiencing famine conditions, warning that without urgent aid, more lives will be lost.

Inger Ashing, chief executive of Save the Children, told the UN Security Council that children in Gaza were now too weak even to cry. “Our clinics are almost silent. Now, children do not have the strength to speak or even cry out in agony. They lie there, emaciated, quite literally wasting away,” she said, urging the world to act.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces pressed ahead with operations on the outskirts of Gaza City. Tanks shelled the Ebad al-Rahman neighbourhood overnight, displacing residents and destroying homes. Gaza health officials reported at least 76 people killed across the strip in the past day. The Israeli military claimed to have eliminated Mahmoud al-Aswad, Hamas’s head of intelligence for west Gaza, and said it was targeting “terror infrastructure sites,” reported The Guardian.

Israel has vowed to proceed with an offensive in Gaza City, which it describes as Hamas’s final stronghold, even if a ceasefire is reached. About one million people — half of Gaza’s population — are currently sheltering in the city. Israeli officials have said they will order civilians to evacuate, a move humanitarian groups warn could amount to mass forcible displacement in violation of international law.

Church leaders in Gaza, however, announced they would not leave. “People sheltering in the churches are too weak and malnourished to move, and displacement would be a death sentence,” the Greek Orthodox and Latin Patriarchates of Jerusalem said in a joint statement.

Israel has repeatedly issued evacuation orders across Gaza over the past 22 months, with more than 80% of the territory designated as military zones or subject to displacement orders, according to the UN. The cycle of displacement has worsened health conditions, driving the spread of disease.

Efforts to reach a ceasefire remain stalled. Although Hamas accepted a US-backed proposal similar to one Israel had previously agreed to, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has yet to respond. Israeli media reports that the government is leaning toward pursuing the war to its conclusion, aiming for the elimination of Hamas and the return of all hostages.

Qatar, a key mediator, accused Israel of blocking progress, saying the country “does not want to reach an agreement.”

In Washington, Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to lead discussions on Gaza’s postwar future, with his envoy Steve Witkoff saying a “comprehensive plan” is being drafted. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar this week.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has claimed at least 62,895 Palestinian lives.