TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, reiterated his call for an end to Israeli hostilities in Gaza and for dignified humanitarian aid to be allowed into the besieged Palestinian enclave.
"I renew my appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, whose heartbreaking price is paid by the children, elderly, and the sick," the Pope said during his first general audience at the Vatican's St. Peter's Square, as reported by the Vatican News Agency cited by Anadolu.
Leo, whose birth name is Robert Prevost, was elected leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, succeeding the late Pope Francis. He has addressed the situation in Gaza multiple times in the initial weeks of his papacy.
This plea was made at the end of the Pope's audience, where he added these words to his prepared text. The Pope who, according to US President Donald Trump on Monday, expressed interest in hosting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, did not mention that conflict.
In his first Sunday message on May 11, the newly appointed Pope urgently called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
In recent days, the Israeli military has intensified its attacks in Gaza, reportedly killing over 500 Palestinian civilians and injuring hundreds more.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli military has been conducting extensive operations in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of nearly 53,600 Palestinians, the majority of whom have been women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning its actions in Gaza.
Israel stated on Monday that it would allow aid to enter Gaza after an 11-week blockade of the enclave, but the United Nations (UN) confirmed that no aid had been distributed as of Tuesday.
Israel has declared its intention to intensify its military operation against Hamas and to gain control over all of Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli air and ground assaults since Hamas's cross-border attack on Israeli communities in October 2023.
Israel claims its blockade partly aims to prevent Hamas from diverting and seizing aid supplies. Both Hamas and the UN have denied these allegations.
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