Pope Leo renews call for Gaza ceasefire
LONDON
Pope Leo XIV, sounding like a man trapped in an endless loop, once again called for an “urgent ceasefire” in Gaza during a Thursday sit-down with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Vatican. An official statement dutifully confirmed the meeting, as though anyone expected a different script.
Behind closed doors, the pontiff and Herzog went through the familiar checklist: ceasefire, humanitarian aid, freeing hostages—plus the always-mentioned, never-implemented two-state solution. Vatican News relayed the Vatican Press Office’s summary, which could have been copied and pasted from the last dozen appeals.
Leo expressed the predictable wish list: a permanent ceasefire, aid trucks that actually get through, and respect for humanitarian law, all of which have been asked for before and ignored before. He repeated his insistence that “a two-state solution is the only way out,” a phrase so worn down by use it now feels like diplomatic wallpaper.
The conversation also drifted over the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem—again, the “important questions” that seem destined to remain questions forever. The official statement wrapped it all up by emphasizing the “historical value” of Vatican-Israel relations, which is about as uplifting as a plaque in a hallway.
Meanwhile, reality outside the Vatican walls doesn’t shift: Israel’s assault has killed more than 63,000 people in Gaza since October 2023, flattened much of the enclave’s buildings, and driven waves of displaced people into nowhere. Hunger monitors now describe parts of Gaza as enduring a man-made famine.
In other words, the Pope asked nicely, Herzog listened politely, and the war will keep going exactly as it has.
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