The first humanitarian aid convoy entered the southern Syrian city of Sweida today, a Red Crescent official says, a week after deadly sectarian violence erupted in the Druze heartland.

Pope Leo XIV has condemned the “barbarity” of the Gaza war and called out “collective punishment” as officials said dozens more Palestinians were killed queuing for aid on Sunday. The pontiff renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians.

The health ministry in Gaza says that 73 people have been killed while waiting for aid at locations across the Palestinian territory.

The maximum number of casualties were reported from northern Gaza, where at least 67 people were killed while entering the region through the Zikim crossing with Israel, the report said citing the health ministry in the Palestinian territory and local hospitals.

Amid escalating violence, the Israeli military issues new evacuation warnings in central Gaza, affecting aid distribution. Despite ongoing ceasefire talks, military activities persist, and humanitarian conditions worsen.

A week after deadly clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, Syrian Red Crescent convoys drove on Sunday along the Damascus-Daraa highway to provide humanitarian assistance to citizens stranded in villages under attack.

The House voted to claw back more than $8 billion that Congress had allocated for foreign aid, on top of cuts to aid the Trump administration has already made.

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip wait at the border gate in Rafah, Egypt, on Oct. 21. (Mohammed Asad / Associated Press) By Andy Dwonch. Dec. 1, 2023 3:01 AM PT .

Steps taken by the state in Suwayda were aimed at protecting civilians and preventing the conflict from escalating further,' says Hamza al-Mustafa - Anadolu Ajansı