ALBAWABA - Vatican's newly appointed Pope Leo XIV called on Wednesday for Israel to allow "sufficient humanitarian aid" into Gaza amid heightened reports of famine in the Strip.
This marked the pope's first general audience in St Peter's Square, where he described the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza as "more worrying and painful. "He added, "I renew my appeal to allow for the entry of fair humanitarian help and to bring to an end the hostilities, the high price of which is paid by children, the elderly, and the sick."
Pope Leo XIV calls on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza
Leo was elected as the leader of the Catholic Church on May 8, succeeding the late Pope Francis after he passed away on April 25. Since then, the newly elected pope has spoken several times about the dire situation in Gaza and has continuously called for a ceasefire, similar to Pope Francis' stance before his passing.
During his first Sunday mass, Pope Leo XIV also called for a ceasefire in Gaza due to the constant loss of innocent lives, including Palestinian women, children, and the elderly. The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza has resulted in the killing of nearly 53,600 Palestinians and the injuring of more than 121,000.
