Pope Leo calls to ‘suspend the attacks’ and return to dialogue

Pope Leo calls to ‘suspend the attacks’ and return to dialogue Pope Leo XIV called for an end to escalating violence across the Middle East, urging those involved to “suspend the attacks” and urgently reopen channels of dialogue and diplomacy. “The intensification of military operations has again wreaked violence and destruction, endangering the lives of countless civilians and further aggravating the shortages of drinking water and electricity,” he said on X on Sunday. The pope also expressed “deep concern” over civilian casualties in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and appealed for a return to negotiations aimed at achieving a just political solution based on equal rights and dignity.