Pope Leo XIV has issued one of his sharpest rebukes yet to the warring parties in Gaza, condemning what he called “barbarity” and demanding an immediate cessation of what he described as the “indiscriminate use of force.” His comments follow two deadly incidents in the enclave — a strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church and another on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid — prompting renewed calls for international accountability and protection of non-combatants.

Pope Leo XIV

Catholic Church

The first of these incidents occurred at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza City, which had been sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians. According to reports, an Israeli military strike on July 18 hit the church compound, killing two civilians and injuring several others, including people receiving critical medical care. The victims included a woman and her adult son, both described as non-combatants who had sought refuge there. The church, which stands as one of the last functioning Christian institutions in the Gaza Strip, had been housing around 600 displaced individuals at the time, many of them children and people with disabilities.

Israeli military

Christian institutions

The pontiff personally intervened following the attack. According to Vatican sources, Pope Leo held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he conveyed his sorrow and protest. He told the Israeli leader that attacks on places of sanctuary “violate humanitarian norms” and cannot be morally justified. Earlier, during a public address, Leo XIV denounced the church strike as a form of “collective punishment,” a phrase that carries weight in international humanitarian discourse.

Vatican

Pope Leo

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel’s military acknowledged the church compound had been hit unintentionally by fragments during an operation in the area, and said the episode is under internal review. An official military statement expressed regret for civilian harm and reiterated Israel’s stated policy of minimizing damage to non-military sites. “Our intent was to neutralize combatants operating nearby,” the statement read, noting that the military would examine potential errors in targeting.

Israel’s military

Israel

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined the Vatican in voicing outrage. Speaking in Rome, she called the strike “intolerable,” insisting that “no military objective can excuse endangering civilians in places meant to be safe.” The Italian government has called for a transparent investigation into the bombing and emphasized the need for consistent adherence to international law by all parties.

Giorgia Meloni

Vatican

In a separate but similarly deadly episode, at least 85 Palestinians were reported killed while waiting in line for food assistance in northern Gaza, according to health officials cited by medical sources in the strip. The victims, described by eyewitnesses as unarmed civilians, were attempting to access humanitarian aid when Israeli forces reportedly opened fire. The circumstances remain unclear, and the Israeli side has not publicly addressed this particular event in detail.

Israeli forces

Israel

The Pope referred to that incident as further evidence of what he called the “barbarity” of the war, reiterating that all parties must prioritize the sanctity of human life. “Indiscriminate force is not defense,” he said, drawing attention to the dire humanitarian situation unfolding in Gaza, where residents face acute shortages of food, medicine, and shelter. Medical facilities, already strained by months of bombardment, are reporting rising cases of extreme malnutrition and exhaustion.

Pope

“People are starving. We’re seeing the signs in our patients — dizziness, fainting, and alarming weight loss,” said Dr. Tariq Mahmoud, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, where many of the wounded from the aid line strike were brought. He added that many families have not received any international aid for weeks, intensifying desperation on the ground.

Al-Shifa Hospital

Pope Leo has repeatedly urged the international community to impose legal and moral constraints on the conduct of war. In his latest address from St. Peter’s Square, he identified three core violations — indiscriminate violence, the collective punishment of civilians, and forced displacement — as urgent ethical failings that must be addressed. He also called on global leaders to reject what he called “double standards” in responding to the crisis, without naming specific countries.

Pope Leo

St. Peter’s Square

More than 58,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Gaza since hostilities began in October 2023, and the vast majority of the strip’s population has been displaced, according to local and international monitoring groups. Amid ongoing calls for a ceasefire, Pope Leo concluded his remarks with a plea “for peace rooted in justice,” stating that the world could no longer look away from the cost borne by innocent lives.

Pope Leo