Overview

• Speaking during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV said there is no future based on violence, forced exile or revenge and affirmed the Church’s solidarity with Gaza’s people.
• He greeted Catholic associations working to support residents of the enclave and praised broader Church efforts to stand with those suffering.
• Israeli forces have stepped up operations in the territory, and the military announced a ground operation in Gaza City aimed at taking control of an area where hundreds of thousands of civilians remain.
• The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began after a Hamas attack in October 2023 that left about 1,200 dead and around 250 taken hostage.
• Health experts warned last month that Gaza is experiencing a period of famine, underscoring worsening humanitarian conditions alongside the renewed fighting.