Pope renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
Leo also expressed his 'deep sorrow' for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest.
'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' the Pope added.
The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month.
Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it is investigating.
'We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,' the Pope said earlier on Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano.
'The world no longer tolerates war.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Merz announces German plan for humanitarian airlift for Gaza via Jordan
German chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced plans for a humanitarian airlift for Gaza via Jordan and demanded Israel do more in the region. After meeting King Abdullah II of Jordan in Berlin on Monday, Mr Merz said France and the UK had signed up to the German plan to rush food and medical aid to the region – but offered few other details. 'Israel has to end the humanitarian situation immediately, comprehensively and sustainably,' said Mr Merz in a statement. 'Israel has to end the suffering of the civilian population quickly and adequately and allow in humanitarian and medical help.' He described Israel's decision on Sunday to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza as an 'important first step, after which others must follow quickly'. READ MORE Mr Merz added that 'no further expulsions from Gaza' must be permitted, no further annexation in the West Bank and that 'all channels' must be used to secure a ceasefire agreement from Hamas. Mr Merz's move follows increasingly critical weekend coverage in the German media of the situation in Gaza. On Monday evening, Mr Merz was set to speak by telephone with Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Despite the critical tone, the German leader insisted there was no doubt in Berlin that it was 'the barbarous and inhumane terror of Hamas on October 7th, 2023, that triggered the battles in Gaza'. Amid plans by France to recognise Palestinian statehood, the chancellor said 'no decision is looming' on German recognition. He described this as the 'last, concluding step' in any two-state solution agreement.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
EU Commission discusses curbs on Israel research funding amid Gaza pressure
European Commissioners on Monday discussed a proposal to partially suspend Israel 's access to the EU's Horizon research funding programme following calls from EU governments to increase pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza . Multiple EU countries said last week that Israel was not living up to its commitments under an agreement with the European Union on increasing aid supplies to Gaza and asked the Commission to put concrete options on the table. The proposal was mentioned in a published agenda of Monday's meeting of the College of Commissioners, the top decision-making body of the European Union's executive. But the Commission has not explained it in detail. Israel has been participating in the EU's research programmes since 1996, taking part in thousands of joint research projects over the past decades. Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Israel had agreed to expand humanitarian access to Gaza, including increasing the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution hubs. But in a tense meeting of European ambassadors in Brussels last week, countries including France, the Netherlands and Spain said not enough was being done, according to diplomats. Earlier this month, EU officials presented a list of options that the bloc could pursue to put pressure on Israel but the bloc has so far refrained from pursuing any of them. Israel on Sunday announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors, while Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have airdropped supplies into the enclave. But officials and aid groups remain concerned and say much more needs to be done to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. – Reuters
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Trump has warned Vladimir Putin that he has 'ten or 12 days' to end the war in Ukraine
THE WAR IN Ukraine should end in at least ten days, US President Donald Trump has warned Vladimir Putin. In what is becoming a common occurrence when meeting with world leaders, Trump made many remarks during a lengthy press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, which lasted over one hour. During the news conference, the American President claimed the US will work to curb starvation in Gaza and that he 'never had the privilege' of visiting Jeffery Epstein's island in the Caribbean. Trump also announced a slashing of the 50-day deadline he had given to Russia this month to end its war in Ukraine. Asked what the new date for the Russian president was, Trump said: 'I'm going to make a new deadline of about ten, ten or 12 days, from today. There's no reason in waiting [for the whole 50 days]. 'It was 50 days, I wanted to be generous. But, we just don't see any progress being made.' Trump on Putin: "I'm gonna make a new deadline of about 10 or 12 days from today." [image or embed] — Aaron Rupar ( @ ) July 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM Earlier this month, Trump had pledged to sanction Russia with severe trading tariffs should a deal not be agreed . He, today, said: 'Russia could be so rich right now, instead they spend all their money on war. They could be so rich, but they spend their money on killing people. I thought he [Putin] would want to end this thing quickly. 'But every time I think it's going to end, he kills people,' Trump told reporters, adding that he was no longer interested in holding discussions with the Russian President, insisting that Putin acts in bad faith. Increasing aid in Gaza Trump claimed that the US' joint-plan with Israel to increase aid in Gaza, through airdrops and the controversial operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has received support from Starmer and other European nations. Starmer, who welcomed the approval of the Israeli government for countries to airdrop aid in to the war-torn region of Gaza, said the UK willing to work with the US, whose food distribution operations has led to the deaths of over 1,000 people in recent weeks. Neither leader mentioned the fact that previous aid airdrop missions led to the harm and death of Palestinians, including a number of people that had drowned when seeking to recoup aid that had landed off the coast of the region. 'We do have to take care of the humanitarian needs of, what they used to call, the Gaza Strip. You don't hear that line too much any more, you don't hear the Gaza Strip, but it is the Gaza Strip,' Trump said. Advertisement The US President said that food centres would be set up in the region and claimed that 'trillions of dollars' have been raised for the plan – adding that 'we're going to spend a little bit of money on some food'. Trump said it was 'crazy' that Palestinians in Gaza were not able to access food. Today, the head of the UN's aid agency said Israel needed to redouble its efforts to accelerate the delivery of aid into Gaza , after the government agreed to expand humanitarian access for just one week. 'We have to get the kids fed, so we've been sending in a lot of food.' US president Donald Trump speaks about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 28, 2025 The first aid airdrops also landed in the country today. The UN said it would attempt to reach as many people as possible now that secure land routes have been announced. The UN and independent NGOs working in the region have warned that Palestinians are at risk of starvation after four months of an Israel's siege on Gaza. An estimated 62,000 tonnes of food are needed to meet basic needs, the World Food Project said today. Trump acknowledged the warnings today, claiming that the US were working to improve the situation of the millions of Palestinians who have been displaced from their homes in the months of Israel's war. 'Never had the privilege' of attending Epstein's island Trump was also asked about his previous relationship with prolific sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking. The US President knew and socialised with Epstein before entering politics, including when they were neighbours in Florida. Trump has always denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home, where prosecutors say the man sex trafficked underage girls. 'I never went to the island,' Trump said today, before naming a number of people who allegedly met with the financier Epstein at his home in the Caribbean and that 'no body ever talks about'. 'I never had the privilege of going to his island,' Trump added. 'I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach went to his island. In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn't want to go to his island.' Far-right Trump supporters have claimed the existence of a still-secret client list belonging to Epstein, and that he was murdered in his cell as part of a cover-up. They expected the Republican administration to answer their questions on Trump's return to office in January, and were met with promises to do so from earmarked cabinet appointees. Now, supporters find themselves being told the conspiracy theories are false. The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public this month that there is no evidence that Epstein kept a 'client list' or was blackmailing powerful people. The issue has caused a public rift in the MAGA movement. With reporting by AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
