Pope Leo XIV denounced what he called the recent violations of international and humanitarian law occurring in Gaza and Ukraine, in a statement made in front of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches on Thursday.
In the statement, Pope Leo XIV referenced the situations occurring in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Middle East, stating:
It is truly distressing to see the principle of “might makes right” prevailing in so many situations today, all for the sake of legitimizing the pursuit of self-interest. It is troubling to see that the force of international law and humanitarian law seems no longer to be binding, replaced by the alleged right to coerce others.
While Pope Leo XIV did not elaborate fully on his thoughts on the situations occurring in the above-mentioned war territories, this statement comes amid controversy over potential humanitarian and war crimes being committed in Gaza and Ukraine specifically.
Israel has faced multiple accusations regarding violations of international and humanitarian law during its occupation of Gaza and its conflict with Palestinians. Specifically, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on November 21, 2024, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity in methods used during war on the Gaza Strip.
In the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the ICC also issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for humanitarian crimes regarding the deportation of Ukrainian children in 2023. The ICC issued warrants as well for a few other Russian nationals in 2024 for actions against Ukraine.
Pope Leo XIV closed his statement with a call to the public, mainly focusing on the importance of differentiating real issues from “fake” ones. He urged everyone listening to “identify those [issues] that are real and to attempt to resolve them. But also to reject those [issues] that are false, the result of emotional manipulation and rhetoric, and to make every effort to bring them to light.”
He stated: “People must not die from fake news.”