Vatican City: Caritas Internationalis has aligned with over 160 humanitarian organisations in an impassioned global plea for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that is overwhelmingly impacting innocent civilians, particularly children.
In a joint declaration, the Catholic Church’s global humanitarian arm decried the escalating violence and widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, calling upon the international community to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law. Caritas emphasized the urgent need to prioritize human dignity over military strategy, as the crisis pushes countless civilians to the brink of starvation or death.
Palestinians in Gaza face an agonizing dilemma: risk being killed while venturing out for food and water or remain confined in starvation-stricken areas. In recent weeks, Israeli attacks on civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid have claimed the lives of over 500 people and left nearly 4,000 injured, according to reports.
The destruction of infrastructure and the obstruction of aid have forced desperate civilians to walk through conflict zones and dangerous terrain to reach militarized food distribution points. With no guarantee of safety, many have become targets in areas that should be protected under international law.
According to data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, the death toll from Israeli military strikes since October 2023 has surpassed 57,000, with an additional 11,000 people reported missing. Countless infants have perished as a result of malnutrition, untreated illness, and injury due to the ongoing conflict.
Pope Leo XIV has once again appealed for an end to the violence. Addressing pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on 28 May 2025, the Pope invoked the cries of grieving parents and displaced families, calling them a “lament rising ever more insistently to the heavens.”
“To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting,” he declared, urging world leaders to listen to the suffering of the innocent and pursue peace over warfare.
Caritas warns that the scale of destruction and displacement in Gaza where more than two million people have been forced from their homes demands not just aid, but a moral reckoning. For nearly two years, Palestinians have endured relentless airstrikes, the manipulation of basic needs as weapons, and continuous displacement, all while their suffering is met with silence or normalization on the world stage.
“The world cannot accept the systematic dehumanization of a people as a new norm,” Caritas stated. “This is not a humanitarian response. This is abandonment.” Caritas continues to advocate globally for justice, peace, and compassion values at the heart of its mission and the Gospel.