Pope Leo XIV appears at St. Peter's Basilica after being chosen as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The American-born pontiff urged Catholics worldwide to join his prayer for “a dawn of peace and justice.”
By World Israel News Staff
Pope Leo XIV sharply criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, lamenting the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave while avoiding any mention of Hamas’ role in the conflict.
“I express my deepest sympathy to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced — once again — from their lands,” the pontiff said at the Vatican.
Notably, he did not reference the hundreds of thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes after the outbreak of the war, nor those recently left homeless by Iranian missile strikes targeting residential areas across Israel.
The pope also avoided highlighting the role Hamas has played in worsening conditions for Gazans, including regularly dispatching its terrorists to hijack humanitarian aid trucks, looting supplies, and reselling them to civilians at exorbitant prices.
“I renew my appeal for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, for a negotiated diplomatic solution, and for the full respect of international humanitarian law,” Leo continued. He urged Catholics worldwide “to join my heartfelt prayer that soon a dawn of peace and justice will rise.”
Leo, the first-ever U.S.-born pope, met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier in September.
According to a Vatican summary, he reiterated the Church’s desire for “a prompt resumption of negotiations…to secure the release of all hostages, urgently achieve a permanent ceasefire, facilitate the safe entry of humanitarian aid into the most affected areas, and ensure full respect for humanitarian law.”
On Tuesday, Leo also phoned Father Gabriel Romanelli, head of the Catholic Church in Gaza, to express support. During the call, he “assured Father Gabriel, and all those who turn to the parish, of his closeness and prayers,” read a Vatican statement about the call.
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