In a heartfelt plea from the serene setting of Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV, during his Sunday Angelus prayer, reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. With urgency and compassion, the Pope implored the global community to uphold international laws and prioritize the protection of civilians caught in the conflict.
“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Pope Leo XIV declared. His appeal follows a deeply sorrowful incident—the shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which resulted in fatalities and injuries, including that of the parish priest. This attack not only damaged a sacred space but also a sanctuary for hundreds seeking refuge from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, now stretching into its 21st month.
The Pope’s call resonates with his earlier message after presiding over Mass at Albano Cathedral, where he urged, “We need to dialogue and abandon weapons. The world no longer tolerates war.”
An average of 28 children are killed daily in Gaza, and more than 17,000 kids have reportedly been killed in the ongoing war in the besieged Palestinian enclave, UNICEF said Wednesday.
Speaking before the UN Security Council, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said each of Gaza’s one million children has faced immense suffering. According to Russell, these children will face lifelong impacts.
“Over the past 21 months of war, more than 17,000 children have reportedly been killed and 33,000 injured in Gaza. An average of 28 children have been killed each day, the equivalent of an entire classroom,” she said.
“Consider that for a moment: a whole classroom of children killed every day for nearly two years. These children are not combatants – they are being killed and maimed as they line up for lifesaving food and medicine.”
The growing number of deaths of children, women, and civilians in Israeli strikes on Gaza comes amid food shortages.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the Security Council on Wednesday that food supplies are running out and civilians are being shot while seeking something to eat.
“Civilians are exposed to death and injury, forcible displacement, and stripped of dignity,” Fletcher told the UN Security Council, emphasising Israel’s obligation under the Geneva Conventions to provide food and medical aid as the occupying power in Gaza.
Despite ongoing ceasefire discussions, mediated by international actors, tangible progress remains elusive.
