Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza during phone call with Israeli PM Netanyahu

the damage to the Holy

A view of the damage to the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza 

In the wake of the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, Pope Leo XIV and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak by phone, with the Pope reaffirming the urgent need to protect places of worship and achieve a ceasefire.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Holy Land, Pope Leo XIV and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Friday.

The Holy Father renewed his appeal for negotiations and a ceasefire in Gaza, according to the Holy See Press Office.

"This morning, in his residence at Castel Gandolfo, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, following yesterday’s military attack by the Israeli army that struck the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, killing three people and injuring others, including some seriously," said the Press Office in a statement.

"During the conversation," it noted, "the Holy Father repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war."

More: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-07/pope-leo-xiv-israel-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-phone-call.html