Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has called for an end to the war in Gaza, saying it continues to claim many lives, especially civilians.
The Gaza conflict has for some time now pitted the Israeli Defense Forces against the Hamas group. In recent days, Israeli forces shelled a church located in the Gaza area, killing three people and injuring many others.
While concluding the Angelus prayer this Sunday, July 20, 2025, Pope Leo XIV returned to the grief caused by the Israeli shelling of the church. He called for the war between Israel and Hamas to end, stating that too many lives have already been lost.
Pope Leo XIV said:
“I again call for this war to stop so that peace may return to the region.”
The bombing of the church seems to have triggered a response from the Vatican, as three people died in the incident and many others were injured, including the priest in charge of the church.
Meanwhile, Israel stated that the incident was an accident and not intentional. It also announced the launch of an investigation into the attack.
