TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Leo XIV firmly calls on Israel to allow the entry of humanitarian aid of sufficient quantities to the Gaza Strip.
This call was made during his first general audience at St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, May 22, 2025, attended by more than 40,000 people.
As reported by Vatican News, in his statement, the Holy Pope described the increasingly alarming condition in Gaza and highlighted the suffering of the people in the ongoing conflict.
"I renew my appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, whose heartbreaking price is paid by the children, elderly, and the sick," said Pope Leo XIV.
Israel had previously announced plans to ease its 11-week total blockade of aid delivery.
Walking the Steps of the Late Pope Francis
Pope Leo XIV's stance on Israeli atrocities traces the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who in the last years of his life was known as one of the most vocal moral voices against Israeli onslaught against Gaza.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. In his final Easter speech, he urged for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Francis' criticism of the genocide in Gaza often strained Vatican-Israel diplomatic relations. Unlike many other countries that sent high officials to Pope Francis' funeral, Israel only sent their ambassador to the Vatican.
However, in Leo XIV's inauguration mass, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was present, along with a Jewish delegation including the chief rabbi of Rome and a representative of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities. This is a small sign of an effort to improve relations.
A Continuing Tragedy
In the past few days, more than 500 Palestinians have reportedly died, while the total casualties since October 2023 have passed 53,800, most of whom are women and children, as quoted from Middle East Monitor.
Israel's blockade on Gaza has cut off power supplies, halted the operation of clean water facilities, and prevented the entry of aid trucks. The UN and various international humanitarian organizations have warned that this situation resembles mass starvation and constitutes a form of collective punishment that violates international law.
Amid the silence of many world leaders, Pope Leo XIV reaffirms the Vatican's position and serves as a reminder that peace and justice can be expected through the promotion of moral goodness. As Pope Francis stated before his death, Palestinians in Gaza are "starving people that aspires to a future of peace."
Sita Planasari contributed to the writing of this article.
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