Ayatollah Hamedani Writes to Pope, Urges Pressure to End ‘Siege and Starvation’ in Gaza
In a letter addressed to Pope Leo XIV, Iranian religious authority Ayatollah Noori Hamedani condemned Israeli policies in Gaza, noting that the regime is committing war crimes and pushing the Palestinian population toward mass starvation under a total blockade.
“As you know, Gaza is a besieged land that has now become a symbol of human suffering in the face of oppression and injustice,” Hamedani wrote. “While the world watches the daily deaths of innocent children, women, and men due to hunger, thirst, and lack of medicine, the Zionist regime continues its total blockade, preventing the entry of food and humanitarian aid—creating an unprecedented disaster in modern history.”
He added that such atrocities are not only morally indefensible but also violate religious values and international law. “This conduct is categorically condemned from a human, religious, moral, and legal standpoint,” he said.
Citing shared religious teachings, Hamedani stressed that both Islam and Christianity consider aiding the hungry and protecting the innocent as divine obligations. “In the teachings of Christ, helping the needy is a sacred duty. The Torah also emphasizes justice and compassion,” he wrote. “From the perspective of divine religions, depriving people of food is a flagrant injustice that defies God’s will.”
The cleric further described the blockade and denial of food and medicine as “an unforgivable crime,” warning that the deliberate targeting of civilians and the obstruction of humanitarian relief violate the basic principles of human decency. “This is not only immoral and inhumane but, based on credible international law, constitutes a war crime,” he said.
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Hamedani urged global action, calling on religious institutions, human rights groups, and nations worldwide to stand against the suffering in Gaza. “This is not a time for silence. The people of Gaza need voices raised on their behalf. The world must not be complicit in this crime.”
His letter came as health officials in Gaza confirmed that at least 10 more Palestinians died of starvation on Wednesday. According to the World Health Organization, the death toll from malnutrition-related causes since Israel’s onslaught began in October 2023 has risen to 111—21 of them children under the age of five.
Israeli airstrikes have also continued across the enclave, killing over 100 people in the past 24 hours, including 34 individuals who were reportedly waiting for humanitarian aid.
UN data shows that Israeli forces have shot dead more than 1,000 Palestinians in recent months near food distribution points. Aid organizations say essential supplies remain stuck outside Gaza’s borders due to Israeli restrictions.
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“Mass starvation is spreading,” warned a coalition of 111 aid groups, including Mercy Corps and Refugees International. “Tonnes of food, clean water, and medical supplies sit untouched just outside Gaza, while aid groups are blocked from accessing them.”
UN officials said Israel had fully halted aid entry in March and only allowed limited deliveries beginning in May, primarily through the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Since October 7, 2023, at least 59,219 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The offensive has flattened much of the territory, displacing nearly all of its 2.2 million residents.
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