Overview

• Madonna posted an open appeal on her son Rocco’s 25th birthday asking Pope León XIV to visit Gaza and “bring his light” to children at risk of starvation
• WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly thanked Madonna for raising awareness of mass, man-made hunger and rising child malnutrition in Gaza
• UN agencies report over 5,000 children diagnosed with malnutrition in May and more than 18,000 killed or injured since hostilities began in October 2023
• Pope León XIV has renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire and respect for humanitarian law but has not confirmed any trip to Gaza Israeli authorities deny a famine is occurring, assert they have supplied adequate food and accuse Hamas of diverting or obstructing aid