Israel's Netanyahu called Pope Leo after Gaza church strike, Vatican says

Jul 18, 2025

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/File Photo — Ronen Zvulun

ROME (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday, the Vatican said, a day after an Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic church killed three people and injured several more.

During the call, the pope renewed his appeal for a ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza, and expressed his concern over the "dramatic" humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, a Vatican statement said.

Leo also stressed the urgent need to protect places of worship, the faithful, and all people in the Palestinian territories and Israel, the statement added.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones)

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