<figure id="attachment_3054821" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3054821" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3054821 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/d3f4a6fd-pope-leo-xiv-at-mass-09052025.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3054821" class="wp-caption-text">Pope Leo has tended to take a diplomatic approach that is more muted than his predecessor, Pope Francis. (AP pic)</figcaption></figure>
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo, who typically refrains from speaking off the cuff, expressed unusually forceful concern today about the consequences of Israel&#8217;s strike in Qatar.
&#8220;There&#8217;s some really serious news right now: Israel&#8217;s attack on some Hamas leaders in Qatar,&#8221; the pontiff told journalists outside his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.
&#8220;The entire situation is very serious,&#8221; Leo said. &#8220;We do not know how things will go. It is really serious,&#8221; he added.
Leo, the first US pope, has tended to take a diplomatic approach that is more muted than his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Leo usually sticks to the Vatican&#8217;s careful diplomatic language, but has been ramping up criticism of Israel&#8217;s military campaign in Gaza.
The pope met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the Vatican last week, after which the Vatican said Leo had lamented the &#8220;tragic situation in Gaza&#8221; with Herzog.
Leo spoke today after news that Israel had launched a strike in Doha, which it said was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator.
&#8220;We must continue working and insisting on peace,&#8221; the pope told the journalists, who also asked for comments about the situation in Gaza.
Leo also said that he had tried to call the pastor of Gaza&#8217;s sole Catholic Church, Rev Gabriel Romanelli, who spoke frequently with Francis.
The Vatican had not previously said whether Leo has spoken personally with Romanelli.
The pastor did not respond to a Reuters inquiry earlier this week.
Leo spent the day today in Castel Gandolfo, about an hour&#8217;s drive south of Rome, and was headed back to the Vatican in late afternoon.

MatchPoint Times

Pope Leo says Israeli strikes on Qatar create ‘very serious’ situation

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