Pop star Madonna has issued a heartfelt public appeal to Pope Leo XIV, urging him to travel to Gaza and produce what she described as his “light to the kids before it’s too late”.
In a message shared on Instagram, the singer said the pontiff was “the one certainly one of us who can’t be denied entry” and expressed her anguish over the suffering of youngsters within the war-torn territory. “As a mother, I cannot bear to observe their suffering,” she wrote. “The children of the world belong to everyone.”
Her comments come because the UK, European Union, Australia, Canada and Japan jointly warned that “famine is unfolding in front of our eyes” in Gaza, calling for immediate steps to “reverse starvation”.
The United Nations has said the quantity of aid entering Gaza stays far below what’s required to fulfill basic humanitarian needs. UN officials have also reported continued delays and obstacles in collecting supplies from Israeli-controlled border areas.
Madonna, who turned her attention to the crisis during recent live shows, stressed that her appeal was not about taking sides within the conflict. “I’m not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the moms of the hostages. I pray that they’re released as well,” she said.
She also urged that “humanitarian gates” be “fully opened” to be able to save the lives of “innocent children” and emphasised the urgency of the situation. “There is not any more time. Please say you’ll go,” she wrote in her message to the Pope.
In her post, the singer linked the appeal to her family, noting that it was her son Rocco’s birthday and saying: “The best gift I may give to him as a mother is to ask everyone to do what they will to assist save the innocent children caught within the crossfire in Gaza.”
Pope Leo, who became the primary US head of the Catholic Church earlier this 12 months, has previously called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged the international community to guard civilians, end collective punishment, and make sure the free flow of humanitarian aid.
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