Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for sufficient humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-ravaged Gaza, where humanitarian agencies say a total blockade has sparked critical food and medicine shortages. Israel has, under massive pressure from the U.S. and other allies, started to allow more aid into Gaza this week, but it has not eased its military operations, and aid agencies say the amount of humanitarian goods entering the strip is nowhere near enough to meet the urgent needs of a battered civilian population.
The United Nations announced Monday that it had been cleared to send in aid for the first time since Israel imposed a total blockade on March 2, sparking severe shortages of food and medicine.
Pope Leo, the first U.S. pontiff, expressed deep concern over the ongoing crisis in Gaza during his first weekly audience, calling it “worrying and painful.” He urged an end to hostilities and the entry of adequate humanitarian aid, noting that “children, the elderly, the sick” are paying the price. As Israel intensifies its offensive, over 53,500 Palestinians have reportedly died, many women and children. Aid groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières, condemn Israel’s limited aid access, calling it a “smokescreen.” Israel maintains the campaign aims to free hostages, defeat Hamas, and end threats sparked by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack
Israel said 93 trucks had entered Gaza from Israel on Tuesday, but the United Nations said the aid had been held up.
