RAMALLAH, May 29, 2025 (WAFA) – Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, welcomed on Wednesday the recent appeals by Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican, concerning the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Khouri praised these statements as a powerful expression of moral and humanitarian conscience, emphasizing that such voices must not remain isolated but should be translated into urgent and tangible international action.

In its renewed plea, Pope Leo XIV drew attention to the profound suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, highlighting the grief of parents mourning their children and the plight of those forced to flee in search of shelter and food. He called for an immediate ceasefire, and the unconditional respect of international humanitarian law. In the words of the appeal:

“From the Gaza Strip, the cries of mothers and fathers rise ever more intensely to heaven, as they hold the lifeless bodies of children … To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting … Completely respect humanitarian law.”

In a separate interview with the Vatican News, Cardinal Parolin condemned the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, describing them as unacceptable. He pointed to the death of children from hunger and the bombardment of schools and hospitals, stressing the urgent need to stop the bombing, ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, and uphold international humanitarian law on all sides.

Khouri affirmed that these appeals must serve as a call to action for the international community. “These principled and courageous statements represent a moral voice of humanity and justice,” he said. “They must not stand alone. The world has a responsibility to act, beginning with an immediate end to the aggression, the lifting of the blockade, and the opening of humanitarian corridors.”

K.F.