President Donald Trump’s ceasefire agreement in Gaza was tested Oct. 28 as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to conduct strikes in Gaza as his government alleged Hamas violated a White House-backed ceasefire agreement by firing on Israeli forces and failing to return the remains of deceased hostages.
With the start of the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Gaza, Pope Leo XIV prayed for a just and lasting peace that respects all people.
Israel and Hamas “have both signed off” on the first phase of a White House peace proposal for Gaza, President Donald Trump said late Oct. 8 in a social media post.
President Donald Trump on Sept. 23 addressed the U.N. General Assembly amid the backdrop of conflict in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as world leaders still question the extent to which the U.S. will be involved in global affairs as the Trump administration implements its “America First” foreign policy.
Pope Leo XIV has reached out to the Catholic community in Gaza, making a phone call to the Holy Family Parish — the only Catholic parish in the region. About 500 refugees currently live within the parish complex.
Pope Leo XIV appealed to Israel and Hamas to stop the violence that has caused “so much terror, destruction and death.”
The parish priest of Gaza Strip’s small Christian community spoke to Vatican Radio amid tragedy after tragedy unfolding in the enclave, with at least 32 people killed by Israeli strikes only on July 13, including six children at a water collection point.
Hours after the United States bombed the sites of three nuclear-enrichment facilities in Iran, Pope Leo XIV called the situation in the Middle East “alarming” and said diplomacy was the only responsible way forward.
The U.S. has attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran, in a move that comes amid repeated pleas from Pope Leo XIV and other church leaders for peace and dialogue in ending multiple conflicts throughout the world, including that between Israel and Iran.
As conflict in the Middle East escalated with Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites in Iran and retaliatory drone attacks on Israel, Pope Leo XIV appealed for restraint and renewed the church’s calls for nuclear disarmament and peaceful dialogue.
