Pope Leo XIV renews his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo.
Pope Leo also expressed his 'deep sorrow' for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest.
'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,' the pope added.
The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating.
'We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,' the pope said earlier Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano.
'The world no longer tolerates war,' Leo told reporters waiting for him outside the cathedral.
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BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
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We have agreed not to identify our colleagues by name out of consideration for their tell us that not being able to provide for the youngest and most vulnerable of their loved ones is most difficult of all."My son who has autism is unaware of what is going on around him. He doesn't know that we are in a war and he doesn't speak," says one of our cameramen in Gaza City, who is a father-of-four."In recent days, he's so hungry that he's started hitting his stomach with his hand to signal to us that he wants food."Our youngest colleague, who is in southern Gaza, is the main breadwinner for his parents and siblings."I am constantly wondering how to get food for my family," he tells us. "My little sister, who's 13, keeps on asking for food and water and we can't get any for her. Any water we find will be contaminated." The BBC has released a joint statement with other media organisations saying it is "desperately concerned" about the wellbeing of local freelance journalists that it works with in Gaza."For many months, these independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering," says the statement by the BBC and AFP, AP and Reuters news current conditions make telling the story of what is happening even more challenging. "I feel tired and exhausted all the time, to the point of dizziness and falling to the ground," says a veteran journalist who now works with us in Gaza City and is looking after his mother, sisters and five children aged two to says he has lost 30kg (4st 7lbs) in 21 months of war."I used to complete most news reports with great speed, but now I am slow in finishing them due to my poor health and psychological state," he tells us. 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In the past, Israeli-accredited BBC journalists like myself were able to travel regularly to Gaza to report, even during since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, Israel along with Egypt - when its Rafah crossing was still open - has prevented foreign journalists from accessing the territory except on limited embeds with the Israeli army."We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza," the BBC and other news organisations said in their week, 28 countries including the UK released a joint statement saying: "The war in Gaza must end now." They called for Israel to comply with its obligations under international law and stop the "drip feeding" of Wednesday, more than 100 aid agencies and rights groups stated that "with supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes."The news organisations noted that: "Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them."They added: "It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people [in Gaza]."For now, our own colleagues are battling to get through each day, balancing their responsibilities to their families with their desire to tell the world about the extraordinary difficulties their people are living through."It's currently catastrophic. Hunger has reached every home," one told us. "This is like a suspended death sentence."
Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Far-right Israeli politicians and settlers discuss luxury ‘Gaza riviera' plan
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