Hamas released a message mourning the death of Pope Francis after the religious leader called for an "immediate ceasefire" in his final Easter message.
On Monday, Hamas, a militant group operating in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, offered its "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the Catholic Church worldwide and to all Christians on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis."
"The late Pope Francis took a prominent role in promoting the values of interfaith dialogue, calling for understanding and peace among peoples, and rejecting hatred and racism," the official statement read.
"On more than one occasion, he expressed his rejection of aggression and wars in the world, and was one of the most prominent religious voices to denounce war crimes and genocide," it continued.
Hamas Movement:
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) April 21, 2025
"We offer our deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the Catholic Church worldwide and to all Christians on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Vatican, who passed away after a distinguished career in the service of human and religious… pic.twitter.com/giZAylpyew
The group's message came after the pope used what would be his final Easter address to call for an "immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, for the release of the hostages... and for access to humanitarian aid." Israeli forces have been blocking any aid, including food, water and medicine, from entering the strip since March 2.
Pope Francis, who died at 88 on Easter Monday, was a vocal critic of the ongoing war on Gaza. In a book for Jubilee 2025, he wrote Israel's actions in Gaza had "the characteristics of a genocide" and called for a careful investigation, according to Vatican News.
"This is not war. This is terrorism," the revered Roman Catholic leader stated in November 2023 after meeting with Palestinians with family in Gaza and relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Al Jazeera reported.
The late pope had also been conducting nightly calls to Father Gabriel Romanelli, priest at the sole Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, nearly every night since Oct. 9, 2023, until he was hospitalized in February 2024, according to Catholic News Agency.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
