Vatican City, May 21, 2025 – Pope Leo XIV issued a strong appeal to Israel today, calling on the country to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, describing the situation there as “alarming and shocking.”
Speaking from St. Peter’s Square at the conclusion of his weekly audience, the Pope said:
“I renew my fervent appeal to allow the delivery of appropriate humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the devastating cost of which is being paid by children, the elderly, and the sick.”
Pope Leo XIV, elected on May 8 following the death of Pope Francis, has referred to the war in Gaza multiple times during the early days of his papacy.
In his first Sunday message on May 11, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas — a group designated as a terrorist organization by both the U.S. and the EU.
While Israel announced on Monday that it would allow aid entry into Gaza following an 11-week blockade, the United Nations reported that no aid had been distributed as of Tuesday.
Israel claims the blockade is meant to prevent militants from diverting humanitarian supplies, an accusation Hamas denies.
In his final months, Pope Francis had issued increasingly sharp criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the situation “very serious and shameful,” and suggesting in January that the international community should investigate whether genocide was being committed against the Palestinian people.
Signaling a possible reset in relations between the Vatican and Israel, President Isaac Herzog attended Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday. By contrast, Israel had sent only its ambassador to Pope Francis’s funeral, reflecting the diplomatic strain at the time.
