Pontiff also speaks of anguish over Israeli strike on territory’s only Catholic church, which killed three people
Jennifer Rankin and agencies
Sun 20 Jul 2025 12.17 EDT
[these are the strongest words yet from Pope Leo]
Israel has expressed “deep sorrow” and opened an investigation into the strike on the church, which was sheltering about 600 displaced people, most of them children and many with special needs.
“This act unfortunately adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” the Pope said on Sunday.
“I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations.”