On a Tuesday evening at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the papacy, once again pleaded for a halt to the fighting in Gaza and the return of the hostages seized on October 7, 2023. Standing at the threshold of his summer residence, he lent a measured endorsement to a peace proposal from President Trump, calling it realistic and hopeful, while asking Hamas to answer it in time. Yet his words also carried a quieter fear: that aid boats heading into a blockaded sea could tip a fragile moment into bloodshed, and that the search for mercy in this long conflict still hangs o
Pope Leo XIV Urges Hamas to Accept Trump's Gaza Peace Plan as Flotilla Nears Blockade
Hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023 remain in captivity, and Gaza faces what the pope called a true humanitarian emergency.
A realistic proposal, with elements he finds very interesting
Mark
What did the pope actually say about the Trump plan?
Mimi
He called it realistic and said parts of it are very interesting. He hopes Hamas accepts it in the established timeframe.
Luke
Worth noting he didn't endorse every term. He said "elements" interested him, and the report doesn't say which ones.
Mark
And the flotilla?
Mimi
Over 50 boats, expected to try to breach the Israeli naval blockade overnight once within 150 nautical miles of Gaza. Leo said he understands the wish to answer a true humanitarian emergency, but he fears violence.
Luke
"Expected to try" is doing work there. That's an expectation, not something confirmed as having happened.
Mark
What is Italy's role?
Mimi
It warned organisers Israel may treat the incursion as a hostile act, urged them to stop, and proposed delivering aid via Cyprus, with the Church getting it to Palestinians.
Luke
We don't know yet whether organisers accepted that, and the report doesn't give the deadline for Hamas either.
Le Pouls
- Pope Leo XIV has urged Hamas to accept Trump's Gaza peace plan before its deadline, calling parts of it very interesting.
- The pope repeated demands for an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages held since October 7, 2023.
- More than 50 aid boats are racing toward the Israeli naval blockade, and the pope fears they could ignite violence.
- Italy has warned the flotilla organisers that Israel may treat their approach as hostile and has offered to deliver the aid through Cyprus instead.
- Everything now turns on whether Hamas answers the plan in time and whether the boats press on or turn back.
On a Tuesday evening at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV, the first American to hold the papacy, once again pleaded for a halt to the fighting in Gaza and the return of the hostages seized on October 7, 2023. Standing at the threshold of his summer residence, he lent a measured endorsement to a peace proposal from President Trump, calling it realistic and hopeful, while asking Hamas to answer it in time. Yet his words also carried a quieter fear: that aid boats heading into a blockaded sea could tip a fragile moment into bloodshed, and that the search for mercy in this long conflict still hangs on choices not yet made.
Late on Tuesday, as he stepped away from his country estate at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV paused to speak about Gaza. The first American pope repeated his plea for an immediate cease-fire and for the release of the hostages Hamas took on October 7, 2023, many of whom remain in captivity.
He turned to the peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, which he described as realistic. He said there were elements in it he found very interesting, and he hoped Hamas would accept it within the timeframe already set, though he did not spell out the deadline or terms.
His attention then moved to the aid flotilla. More than 50 boats were expected to try to break the Israeli naval blockade once they drew within 150 nautical miles of Gaza. Leo understood why the organisers wanted to answer what he called a true humanitarian emergency, but he voiced grave concern that the attempt could end in violence.
Rome has taken a firmer stance, warning the organisers that Israel may regard the incursion as hostile and urging them to turn back. It has offered to deliver the aid through Cyprus instead, and has assured them the Catholic Church would ensure it reaches Palestinians.
Two questions now hang over the days ahead: whether Hamas answers the plan in time, and whether the flotilla pushes toward the blockade and what follows if it does.
Late on Tuesday, as he left his country estate at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV stopped to speak about Gaza. The first American pope repeated his call for an immediate cease-fire and for the release of the hostages Hamas took on October 7, 2023.
He also spoke about the peace plan put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. Leo said it seemed to him a realistic proposal. In his words, there are elements in it that he finds very interesting, and he said he hopes Hamas accepts it within the established timeframe. The source does not spell out the deadline or the terms he had in mind.
The pope then turned to a second concern, the flotilla carrying aid toward Gaza. More than 50 boats were expected to try to breach the Israeli naval blockade overnight, once they came within 150 nautical miles of Gaza.
Leo said he understood why the organisers want to respond to what he called a true humanitarian emergency in Gaza. But he voiced concern about the potential for violence if the boats attempt to break the blockade.
The Italian government has taken a firmer line. It has warned the organisers that Israel may treat their incursion as a hostile act, and it has urged them to stop. Italy has also offered an alternative: deliver the aid in Cyprus instead. After proposing that, Rome assured the organisers that the Catholic Church would see the aid reach Palestinians.
Two questions now hang over the days ahead. One is whether Hamas responds to the peace plan within the timeframe Leo referred to. The other is whether the flotilla presses on toward the blockade, and whether that ends in violence, the outcome the pope said he fears.
Citations marquantes
It seems that it is a realistic proposal; I hope Hamas accepts it in the established timeframe.— Pope Leo XIV
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War & Conflict