Pope Leocalled for a ceasefire inGazaand therelease of all hostagesin a May 28 general audience, following in the steps of his predecessorPope Francis, who was both praised and criticized for using hisposition to advocate for ending the war in Gaza. "In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children," Leo said in St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City. "To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting. Liberate all the hostages. Completely respect humanitarian law." Leo's assumed the papacyearlier this month after he was chosen in a closely followedpapal conclavefollowingFrancis' death on April 21. It was not the first time Leo has spoken out on international conflicts. In hisfirst Sunday message, he urged "no more war," a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages as well as an "authentic and lasting peace" in Ukraine. On May 21, headdressed the crisisin Gaza during a weekly Sunday audience, advocating "an end the hostilities," and asking Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the war-torn and impoverished enclave. Israel has since lifted its blockade, allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid back into Gaza. Leo's May 18 inauguration kicked offswirling speculation about whether he would promote social justice andimmigrant rights, as Francis had. Leo, a Chicago native, is the first American-born pope, although he lived for much of his adult life in Peru. Some of Leo'spast social media posts criticizedVice PresidentJD Vance, who is Catholic, and the Trump administration for its hardline immigration policies.Leo met privatelywith Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and their wives, the Vatican announced on May 19. Israel launched its siege of Gaza after militants affiliated with Hamas − which controls the territory on the border of Israel and Egypt − overran Israel's borders on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Since then, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's attacks, according to Hamas-run local health authorities. A ceasefire brokered in mid-January was shattered after two months. The Trump administration's direct talks with Hamas in Qatar since then have failed to clinch a new agreement. At least 54 Palestinians sheltering in a school were killed by Israel's airstrikes on May 26. Pope Francis repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating in anEaster Sunday message a day before he died, "I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace." Some of his comments directly criticized Israel for the toll on Palestinian civilians. In a January message, he called the situation "very serious and shameful," adding, "We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians." More:Pope Leo appeals for Israel to allow humanitarian aid in Gaza Throughout the conflict,Francis kept in close contactwith Gaza's small Catholic community, even holding nightly calls with the majority-Muslim enclave's churches in the weeks leading up to his death. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Pope Leo calls for ceasefire in Gaza, release of hostages
