Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone conversation with Pope Leo XIV on Friday, the Vatican confirmed, following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s only Catholic church that left three people dead and several others injured.
According to a statement from the Holy See, Pope Leo used the call to once again urge for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the ongoing war in Gaza. He voiced deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.
The pope also emphasized the critical need to safeguard places of worship, religious communities, and all civilians across both the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.
