Pope deplores end to Gaza truce, urges new ceasefire
VATICAN CITY, Holy See (AFP) — Pope Francis said Sunday that he was saddened the truce in the Gaza Strip had been broken and urged those involved in the conflict to reach a new ceasefire deal as soon as possible.
"There is so much suffering in Gaza," the pontiff said in comments from his private residence, which were read by an aide and broadcast on giant screens in Saint Peter's Square.
The 86-year-old is suffering from a lung infection that has caused breathing difficulties, and forced him to cancel a trip to Dubai to attend the international COP28 climate summit.
"Still today, I cannot read this all. I'm doing better, but my voice...," Francis said, before the aide took over.
In the comments, Francis said the end of the ceasefire meant "death, destruction, misery", stressing that the besieged Palestinian territory lacked even essential supplies.
He said the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories was "serious". "Many hostages have been freed but so many others are still in Gaza," he said.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas raged on Sunday for a third day since a week-long truce expired.
Hamas militants from Gaza launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began an air, sea and ground offensive that has killed more than 15,500 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
During the week-long pause in fighting, Hamas released 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
Twenty-five other captives, mostly Thais, were also freed under separate arrangements.
The Israeli army said 137 hostages were still being held in Gaza.
On day 58 of the war, here are five key developments from the past 24 hours:
At least 160 killed in two strikes
The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) said at least 160 Palestinian fatalities were reported in two incidents in northern Gaza Saturday: the bombing of a six-storey building in Jabalia refugee camp, and of an entire block in Gaza City.
Since the start of the war, at least 15,523 people have been killed and more than 41,000 others wounded, according to the latest figures issued Sunday by Gaza's health ministry.
The White House believes Israel was "making an effort" to minimize civilian deaths, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told US media.
"We believe they have been receptive to our messages here of trying to minimalize civilian casualties," he said, including by publishing online a map of places where Gazans could go t o find safety.
In a summary of activity issued on Sunday, Israel's military said a drone strike had "eliminated" five Hamas militants. In an additional statement, the army said "about 500" tunnel shafts of Hamas's underground array "have been destroyed" since the war began.
"Soldiers continue operations to destroy Hamas's underground network of tunnels," it said, where Israeli officials claim some of the Palestinian group's leaders have been hiding.
And "approximately 10,000 air strikes were carried out" in Gaza during the fighting, the army said.
At least 17 rocket salvo were fired from Gaza towards Israel on Sunday, the Israeli army said, adding that most were intercepted and only caused minor material damage.
In a new estimate, OCHA said about 1.8 million people — roughly 75 percent of Gaza's population — are internally displaced, up from an earlier figure of 1.7 million.