Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday called President Trump’s Gaza peace plan “realistic” when talking to reporters.
“So far it seems a realistic proposal,” the pope said, according to Vatican News, also saying he wishes Hamas would go with the plan “within the established timeframe.”
“It’s important, nonetheless, that there be a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. But there are elements there that I think are very interesting, and I hope Hamas will accept it within the established time frame,” he added.
Trump would chair an international “board of peace” to govern and rebuild Gaza within a 20-point plan that the White House unveiled Monday, which describes an end to the Israel-Hamas war and a transition toward peace.
The president would oversee the framework and funding for Gaza’s rebuilding until the Palestinian Authority has reached conditions to gain governance in Gaza.
“This body will call on the best international standards to create modern and efficient governance that serves the people of Gaza and is conducive to attracting investment,” according to the plan.
Israel’s war in Gaza has devastated the territory, resulting in mass death and destruction of infrastructure. The war, which began with a brutal attack by Hamas on Israel, will reach its two-year mark next Tuesday.
In July, an Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the only Catholic church in Gaza killing three people and wounding 10 others, including the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli.
The pope said in a post last month on the social platform X that he was conveying “my profound closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and to survive in unacceptable conditions, forced once again from their own lands.”
“Before Almighty God, who commanded ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ and throughout human history, every person always has an inviolable dignity, to be respected and upheld. I renew my appeal for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a negotiated diplomatic solution,” he added.
Source: The Hill - News
