Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 22, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleCardinal Pizzaballa returns from Gaza with a 'broken heart', urging for humanitarian aid amid the crisis following an Israeli strike on a church.
By Charlotte Greenfield
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch, said on Tuesday he and church leaders had returned from a visit to Gaza with "broken hearts", calling the spiralling humanitarian crisis there "morally unacceptable".
Pizzaballa and Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Friday visited the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, where an Israeli strike last week killed three people and injured several more including the parish priest.
"It is time to end this nonsense and the war," the cardinal, who is the most senior Catholic authority in the region, told a press conference in Jerusalem.
He called for more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip, calling it "a matter of life or death." He added: "Every hour without food, water, medicine and shelter causes deep harm. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable."
It is extremely rare for foreign officials to be allowed entry into Gaza as Israel has essentially sealed its borders since launching its war against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group's cross-border attack on October 7, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday blamed "stray ammunition" for the strike on the church and said Israel was "investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."
Pizzaballa and a Vatican official have questioned Israeli explanations for the incident.
When asked about his stance after his visit to the damaged church, Pizzaballa said on Tuesday that it was not clear what happened and they could not "prove anything."
Netanyahu called Pope Leo on Friday and in their exchange the pontiff renewed appeals for an end to the war, protection of civilians and places of worship while voicing concern for "the dramatic humanitarian situation" in Gaza, the Vatican said.
(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Jerusalem; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Cardinal Pizzaballa stated he returned with 'broken hearts' and called for an end to the war, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian aid.
The visit was prompted by an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza City, which resulted in casualties.
Netanyahu attributed the strike to 'stray ammunition' and stated that Israel is investigating the incident while remaining committed to protecting civilians.
He described the situation as 'a matter of life or death,' stressing that every hour without essential supplies causes deep harm.
In their call, Pope Leo renewed appeals for an end to the war and expressed concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation in the region.
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