Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s called Pope Leo XIV on Friday to ease mounting international pressure just hours after Israeli forces opened fire near two humanitarian aid distribution centers in Gaza, killing at least 104 people and injuring over 100, according to Al Jazeera.
The shootings occurred near aid sites in Khan Younis in the southwest and Rafah in the northwest, where thousands of displaced Palestinians had gathered for food and medical assistance amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Strip.
In recent days, the Gaza Strip’s only Catholic church, which has been temporarily converted into a shelter for displaced civilians, was struck by an Israeli artillery shell. The blast killed three people and wounded about ten others, including Argentinian pastor Gabriel Romanelli.
The Israel Defense Forces attributed the strike to “a shooting error.” But the explanation failed to convince the Vatican.
“It must be given the necessary time for them to actually tell us what happened, whether it was really a mistake — which one can legitimately doubt — or whether there was an intent to directly hit a Christian church,” said Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who noted that “Christians are an element of moderation within the framework of the Middle East and also in the relationship between Palestinians and Jews.”
The church attack prompted a direct phone call from a visibly disappointed U.S. President Donald Trump to Netanyahu. Shortly after, the Israeli premier reached out to Pope Leo XIV, seeking to defuse tensions and reaffirm his government’s position that negotiations with Hamas are ongoing.
“Israel’s efforts to secure an agreement have not been reciprocated by Hamas,” read a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. The Pope, according to a note from the Holy See, “renewed his call for a revival of the negotiating effort and the achievement of a cease-fire and an end to the war. In addition, he expressed concern about the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, the heartbreaking price of which is paid especially by children, the elderly and the sick.”
Netanyahu went as far as inviting Pope Leo XIV to visit Israel “to make amends.” But that diplomatic gesture was met with skepticism from the Palestinian side. The al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, accused the Israeli delegation of rejecting a recent proposal to release all hostages in a single phase.
“If the enemy remains stubborn in this round of negotiations,” al-Qassam spokesman Abu Obaida told Al Jazeera, “we cannot guarantee a return to the partial agreement proposals, including the offer to exchange 10 hostages.”
Only hours earlier, across the Atlantic, President Trump had hinted at an imminent breakthrough, telling reporters that a hostage release would happen “shortly,” though he offered no additional details.
Negotiations in Doha are dragging, with both sides accusing each other of obstruction. The latest framework, jointly sponsored by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, envisions a 60-day ceasefire and a mutual release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
