A day after three civilians were killed in Gaza’s only Catholic church by an IDF tank shell, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks by phone with Pope Leo XIV.
The call lasted for more than an hour, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel, and was “good-natured and friendly.”
“During the conversation, the Holy Father repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war,” says the Vatican readout of the call. “He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price.”
Leo also stresses the “urgent need” to protect places of worship and all people in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The pontiff also called Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa as he entered the Gaza Strip to visit the church.
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Friday, July 18, 2025
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