Pope Léón XIV called on Sunday, July 20 to end the “barbarism” of the war in Gaza and “the blind use of force”, a few days after an Israeli strike murder against a Catholic Church.
“I ask once again the immediate end of the barbarism of this war and a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” said Léon XIV at the end of the Prayer of Angelus, after the death of three people this Thursday, July 17 in the Catholic Church of the Gaza Strip.
“This act, unfortunately, is added to the ongoing military attacks against civil populations and the places of worship of Gaza,” said the Pope on Sunday.
“Apello to the international community to respect humanitarian laws and the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of strength and forced displacement of populations,” he added.
A call with Israeli prime minister
The Latin patriarchy of Jerusalem announced on Thursday the death of three people in an Israeli strike in the Catholic Church of the Gaza Strip, a shelter for this small community since the beginning of the war 21 months ago.
Pope Léon XIV received a telephone call from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, from whom he reaffirmed the urgency of protecting the places of worship and especially all the faithful and all the people in Palestine and Israel, “according to a Vatican statement.
The same day, Benjamin Netanyahu said he lamented “deeply” this strike, recognizing an “error” and announcing that Israel would conduct a “investigation into this incident.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described as “inadmissible” the bombardment of this church “placed under the historical protection of France.”
Source: BFM TV
