Palestinians have right to live in peace in “own land”: pope

• Condemnation of Violence: Pope Leo XIV criticized the escalating violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza, asserting their fundamental right to live in peace and justice within their "own land."
• Global Crisis of Diplomacy: The pontiff warned that war has come "back in vogue," lamenting the decline of multilateralism and the rule of law as nations increasingly favor force and the destruction of civilian infrastructure over dialogue.

Pope Leo XIV on Friday lamented rising violence in the occupied West Bank and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying Palestinians had the right to live peacefully in their "own land".

"Sadly, there has been an increase in violence in the West Bank against the Palestinian civilian population, which has the right to live in peace in its own land," said the US pope,

Civilians in Gaza also should be assured "a future of lasting peace and justice in their own land,” the pope added.

“Vogue war”

Pope Leo XIV told diplomats to the Vatican that war was "back in vogue," delivering a speech warning of sabre-rattling and a weakness of multilateralism.

"A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies.

"War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading," said the pope.

Leo warned that the principle established after the Second World War, "which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined".

"Peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence," he said.

The pontiff pointed to the "weakness of multilateralism" as "a particular cause for concern at the international level".

He said adhering to international humanitarian law was "a commitment that States have made", and such law "must always prevail over the ambitions of belligerents".

"We cannot ignore that the destruction of hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and places essential to daily life constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law," he said.