Overview

• Pope Leon XIV condemned the “barbarie” of the Gaza conflict and the “blind use of force” against civilians during his July 20 Angelus address.
• The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported that an Israeli strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church killed three people, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express deep regret and launch an IDF investigation.
• Gaza Civil Defense said Israeli fire near a northern aid distribution point killed 57 Palestinians and injured dozens as they waited for humanitarian supplies.
• The Israel Defense Forces directed residents of central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah sector to evacuate ahead of a planned operation against Hamas fighters in an area where the army had not previously operated.
• In a phone call with Netanyahu, Pope Leon XIV pressed for the protection of worship sites and the resumption of ceasefire talks to address Gaza’s growing humanitarian crisis.