At least 67 killed while waiting for aid in Gaza, officials say

At least 67 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150 injured while waiting for aid in Gaza, according to hospital officials.

The latest deaths occurred in al Sudaniya in northern Gaza, where aid was entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel, the director of the al Shifa hospital said.

More than 150 people were wounded, some critically, according to hospitals in the area.

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Seven Palestinians were also killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis, including a five-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialised Field Hospital, which received the casualties.

The Israeli military said soldiers had shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat, and that it was aware of some casualties, but said numbers being reported by teams in Gaza were far higher than the military's initial investigation found.

The military added that it is attempting to facilitate the entry of aid, and blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians.

In recent weeks hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while waiting for food and aid.

On Saturday Israeli troops were accused of killing at least 32 people in two incidents, in the Teina area of the Gaza Strip and Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, near distribution hubs operated by the US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

The killings in northern Gaza didn't take place near distribution points associated with the GHF, which began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, after Israel eased its 11-week blockade of aid into the territory.

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It comes as the Israeli military issued evacuation orders on Sunday in areas of central Gaza packed with displaced Palestinians where it hasn't operated so far in its war with Hamas.

The military evacuation demand, which could signal an imminent attack on neighbourhoods in Deir al Balah, alarmed the families of Israeli hostages, who fear their relatives are being held there.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo called for an end to the "barbarity of war" on Sunday as he spoke of his profound pain over an Israeli strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza on Thursday.

The attack killed three people and wounded 10, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, who developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis, and was back at the Holy Family Catholic Church for Mass on Sunday.

The strike drew condemnation from the pope and US President Donald Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel, which said it was an accident.

Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs.

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