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Pope urges Gaza ceasefire
Pope Leo XIV used his Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo to renew his appeal for peace in the Holy Land, saying he was following with “deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land,” where “many civilians have recently fallen victim, both in the West Bank and in Gaza.”
“many civilians have recently fallen victim, both in the West Bank and in Gaza”
The Vatican News account of the remarks tied the humanitarian impact of the wider regional conflict to shortages, quoting the pope saying “the intensification of military operations has once again brought violence and destruction,” placing civilians’ lives “in grave danger” while worsening “the shortages of drinking water and electricity.”
In the same address, Pope Leo XIV called for a return to negotiations, urging “a return to negotiations aimed at achieving a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person.”
He also pressed for an immediate shift away from military escalation, saying “I urge all parties involved to suspend their attacks and urgently reopen avenues of dialogue and diplomacy.”
Dialogue over hostilities
The OSV News report said Pope Leo XIV urged “the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions,” especially those that violate “the respect for and the status quo of the holy places of every religion.”
In the same Vatican News framing, the pope called on the region’s parties to “suspend their attacks and urgently reopen avenues of dialogue and diplomacy,” so that “the peace so greatly desired by the entire region may be achieved without delay.”
ANI News likewise quoted the pontiff exhorting all parties to “suspend the attacks and urgently reopen paths of dialogue and diplomacy,” linking the intensification of military operations to “endangering the lives of countless civilians” and “further aggravating the shortages of drinking water and electricity.”
The remarks were delivered as the pope expressed concern over the situation in the “Holy Land,” while also renewing a broader plea for peace across the Middle East during his Sunday appeal.
Prayers and political solution
Pope Leo XIV’s appeal in Castel Gandolfo also included a call for continued prayer, with Vatican News quoting him: “May the Lord touch hearts and enlighten the minds of those in positions of responsibility, so that reconciliation and peace may soon prevail.”
“May the Lord touch hearts and enlighten the minds of those in positions of responsibility”
In the same Vatican News account, the pope’s political framework emphasized negotiations toward “a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person,” while rejecting “further military actions and unilateral decisions.”
WAFA Agency similarly reported that the pope renewed his urgent appeals during the Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, again quoting “I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land.”
WAFA also repeated the pope’s call for a halt to attacks and a return to dialogue, quoting “I urge all parties involved to suspend their attacks and urgently reopen avenues of dialogue and diplomacy.”
