Pope Leo XIV Calls for Ceasefire and Respect for International Law in Lebanon Amid Israel–Hezbollah Conflict.

Speaking Sunday at the end of his noontime prayer, Leo said he was “closer than ever” to the people of Lebanon in his prayers, and called on all sides to stop fighting and seek peace.

“The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails the moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war,” he said.

Though Israel’s strikes over Beirut have calmed in recent days, its attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside a ground invasion it renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the opening days of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.

Leo also offered “warmest wishes” for all those Christians celebrating Orthodox Easter, and said he hoped especially that the international community doesn’t turn its back on the “beloved people of Ukraine.”

Finally, he noted that Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the “fratricidal war” in Sudan, and appealed for the start of unconditional talks to end the suffering of what he called an “inhuman tragedy.”