Pope Leo calls for Gaza ceasefire

Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged both Israel and Hamas to “fully respect international humanitarian law” on Wednesday.

“In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children,” the pontiff said during his weekly address in St Peter’s Square.

“To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting,” said the pope. “Liberate all the hostages. Completely respect humanitarian law.”

Pope Leo was elected on May 8, following the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, in late April at age 88 after a long illness.

Born in Chicago on Sept. 14, 1955, Leo became the first American to ascend to the papacy in the history of the Vatican.

His remarks continue the legacy of Pope Francis, who during his tenure condemned an Israeli airstrike that killed seven children from one family in northern Gaza.

In excerpts from his autobiography, published in November last year, Francis called for a “careful study” of whether conditions in Gaza could meet the technical definition of genocide.

The Israeli occupation army resumed its assault on the Gaza Strip on March 18, renewing a war it launched on Oct. 7, 2023. The escalation followed Israel’s refusal to uphold a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19 and was intended to culminate in a full exchange of detainees held by Hamas and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.