Place Saint-Pierre: Pope Leo XIV calls to let in decent humanitarian aid in Gaza

From Place Saint-Pierre, Pope Léon XIV launched, on May 21, a direct and overwhelming call for Gaza: to open decent access to humanitarian aid without decent and put an end to the hostilities that ravage the civilian population. “The price of this war is the children, the elderly, the patients who pay it,” said the sovereign pontiff, denouncing a “disturbing and painful” situation in the Palestinian enclave. While the spectrum of the flatness, the UN is sounding the alarm and more and more voices, including among international lawyers, qualify the events during genocide.

The Israeli strikes, still deadly on May 20, made new civilian victims in an already bloodless territory after months of siege. Despite some tolerated aid trucks, the blockade remains in place, preventing the population from accessing vital assistance, while the infrastructure is destroyed and the shelters reduced to nothing. Pope Léon XIV also wanted to salute the memory of his predecessor, François, who died a month ago today, and whose firm positions on Palestine have deeply marked his pontificate.