![Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the Holy Mass for the election of the Roman Pontiff in St Peters Basilica. Vatican City (Vatican), May 7th, 2025 [Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GettyImages-2214027294-1.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has said that what is happening in the Gaza Strip under Israeli bombardment is unacceptable.
In an interview with Vatican state media on Tuesday, Parolin called for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza, which is under a severe blockade imposed by Israel. He described the situation as one in which civilians are being starved.
“What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable. International humanitarian law must be applied to everyone,” he said.
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“We call for an end to the bombardments and for the necessary aid to reach the population: I believe the international community must do everything possible to bring this tragedy to an end,” he added.
Since 2 March, Israel has imposed a systematic starvation policy on Gaza’s 2.4 million residents by closing border crossings to humanitarian aid, much of which is stuck at the border. The siege has pushed the territory into a state of famine and caused the deaths of many.
With absolute American support, “Israel” has been committing acts of genocide in Gaza since 7 October 2023, resulting in more than 177,000 Palestinians being killed or injured, most of them children and women, with over 11,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.