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Pope Leo XIV Calls Trump’s Gaza Plan ‘Realistic,’ Presses for Ceasefire and Hostage Releases

He urges Hamas to accept the proposal, voicing concern over a Gaza aid flotilla plus insisting on unhindered relief.

Pope Leo XIV celebrates a Mass in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of Catechists, at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
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Pope Leo XIV gestures as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Overview

  • Pope Leo XIV said the 20-point U.S. plan to end the Gaza war “seems a realistic proposal” with “very interesting” elements and urged Hamas to accept it within the stated timeframe.
  • He reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and the return of hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023, framing these as prerequisites for de-escalation and relief.
  • The pope warned about potential violence as a 50-plus boat flotilla approached Gaza; Italy cautioned the attempt could be seen as a hostile act and proposed offloading aid in Cyprus with Church help to deliver it.
  • Reported terms of the plan include a 72-hour timeline to return hostages after Israel’s acceptance, prisoner releases, a full IDF withdrawal, and a U.S.-led “Board of Peace” chaired by President Trump and Tony Blair, with several regional foreign ministers reportedly signaling support.
  • He criticized recent U.S. military rhetoric and the renaming of the Defense Department to “War,” calling the language worrying, and said the Vatican’s Holy See funds trial must proceed without his interference.