By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Pope Urges Ceasefire as Middle East Conflict Escalates
The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has appealed for an immediate ceasefire and renewed dialogue as fighting continues to intensify across the Middle East.
Speaking on Sunday after the Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, the Pope called on all parties involved in the growing conflict to halt hostilities and reopen channels of dialogue.
He said the appeal was made on behalf of Christians in the region and all people of goodwill. “Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace that peoples are longing for,” the pontiff said, urging leaders to choose negotiation over continued fighting.
The Pope noted that communities across the region have endured weeks of devastating attacks as tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
According to reports, thousands of civilians have been killed and many others forced to flee their homes as the violence spreads.
He expressed sympathy for families who lost loved ones in strikes that have hit schools, hospitals and residential neighbourhoods.
The Pope also voiced deep concern about the worsening situation in Lebanon, expressing hope that renewed dialogue could help the country’s leaders address the growing crisis affecting its people.
Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. In southern Lebanon, at least 12 medical workers were reportedly killed when an Israeli strike hit a health facility.
Lebanese authorities say more than 800 people have died in Israeli air raids since the fighting intensified, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
Israel says its operations are aimed at positions used by Hezbollah fighters accused of storing weapons and coordinating attacks.
The armed group began launching rockets toward northern Israel in support of Iran shortly after the conflict erupted.
Inside Iran, casualties have also been reported following strikes on an industrial area in Isfahan Province.
Iranian officials and humanitarian groups estimate that between 1,230 and 1,300 civilians may have been killed since the start of the campaign involving the United States and Israel, although the figures remain unverified.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred on February 28 when a missile struck a girls’ primary school in Minab, killing dozens of people, many of them children.
The conflict has also heightened tensions across the wider region. Air defence systems in Saudi Arabia reportedly intercepted drones over Riyadh, while authorities in Dubai and Qatar reported similar interceptions.
In Kuwait, officials said a drone strike damaged radar systems at the country’s international airport. Meanwhile, the United States embassy in Baghdad has urged American citizens to leave Iraq following a missile strike inside the embassy compound on Saturday.
As the violence spreads and civilian casualties mount, the Pope’s appeal adds to growing international calls for restraint and a return to diplomacy in a region already strained by prolonged conflict.
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