Pope Leo XIV renews impassioned appeal for ‘allowing entry of dignified humanitarian aid’ into Gaza and for ‘an end to the hostilities’ whose ‘price is paid by children, the elderly and the sick’ at his first General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“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.”
This was the heartfelt appeal made by Pope Leo XIV toward the conclusion of his first General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on 21 May, in his remarks to Italian pilgrims, after expressing, “The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful.”
The humanitarian emergency in Gaza is at a breaking point. In fact, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), supported by the UN, is warning of an imminent famine.
According to agencies, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has intensified as Israeli airstrikes on May 20, 2025, resulted in many Palestinian deaths, including children, amid ongoing military operations that have killed tens of thousands of people since October 2023.
Despite Israel permitting a limited number of aid trucks into Gaza, international criticism has mounted, calling for Israel to halt its military campaign and ease aid restrictions .
Moreover, the United Nations has expressed concern for the unprecedented destruction of housing in Gaza.
In his appeals, the Holy Father also remembered in a special way Pope Francis who passed away exactly a month ago, on 21 April 2025.
