Pope Francis Leaves Legacy of Compassion, Peace Efforts in Gaza

(MENAFN) Throughout Israel’s 18-month conflict in Gaza, Pope Francis reached out daily to the territory’s only Catholic parish, offering prayers and messages of solace.

In his final public remarks on Easter Sunday, he renewed his plea for peace, urging an end to the violence in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire in the war-torn region.

The Vatican announced on Monday that Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America, passed away at 88 years old.

According to an earlier statement from the Vatican, his death followed a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis" connected to thrombocytopenia.

Pope Francis was widely regarded as a global moral figure, championing compassion and social justice. Sources described his papacy as a “pontificate of peace, for peace.”

The pope was a vocal opponent of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, persistently urging an end to the fighting.

In his final message, he denounced the dire humanitarian conditions in the region. “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages, and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace,” he stated.

He also condemned repeated attacks on civilians, including assaults on medical facilities and educational institutions.

"Children were bombed. This is cruelty, not war," he previously stated in response to Israeli assaults against Palestinians.

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