Pop Icon Madonna Petitions Pope Leo to Travel to Gaza Strip, Warning of Potential Urgency
In a heartfelt plea on her Instagram account, pop icon Madonna has called on Pope Leo XIV to visit Gaza and help alleviate the ongoing starvation crisis affecting thousands of children. The appeal, made on August 12, 2025, comes as the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, with images of emaciated children causing global alarm.
Madonna, who published her post on her son Rocco's birthday, believes that consciousness can affect change, not politics. She has asked for the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save the innocent children in Gaza and has urged the pope to visit Gaza in a humanitarian mission.
The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been a cause for concern for many, including UNICEF, which reports that more than 18,000 children have been killed since the war began in October 2023. An average of 28 children have been killed a day in Gaza as of last week, according to UNICEF.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the Israeli blockade on aid to Gaza "man-made mass starvation." Ramesh Rajasingham, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated that this is a case of starvation, "pure and simple."
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus responded to Madonna's post, thanking her for her compassion, solidarity, and commitment to helping those caught in the Gaza crisis, especially the children.
Madonna's comments follow a growing number of artists, including Massive Attack, Brian Eno, and most recently U2, who have highlighted the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government would grant the pope entry to the enclave is not certain.
Pope Leo XIV has not responded publicly to Madonna's request to visit Gaza and help starving Palestinian children. While the Vatican has yet to comment on her plea, Pope Leo has expressed concern about Gaza’s humanitarian conditions, calling for a ceasefire and respect for humanitarian law but has not committed to a visit.
The situation is complicated by the fact that entry to Gaza is tightly controlled by Israel, which has effectively sealed its borders since October 7, 2023. In a rare instance in July, Israel allowed two church leaders to visit Gaza after Israel struck Gaza's sole Catholic church.
During a performance in late 2023, Madonna also criticized the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on Israel and Israel's military response. At least 101 children have died from malnutrition since the beginning of the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
As the crisis in Gaza continues to unfold, Madonna's call for action serves as a reminder of the urgent need for humanitarian intervention and the power of consciousness to effect change.
- Madonna, alongside artists like Massive Attack, Brian Eno, and U2, has been vocal about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, recently asking Pope Leo XIV to visit the region and help alleviate the ongoing starvation affecting thousands of children.
- The pope's response to Madonna's request is yet to be seen, as the Vatican has not yet commented on her plea, but Pope Leo has expressed concern about Gaza’s humanitarian conditions.
- The Israeli blockade on aid to Gaza has been a point of contention, with the World Health Organization (WHO) labeling it as "man-made mass starvation".
- The worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza has led to the death of more than 18,000 children since the war began in October 2023, with an average of 28 children being killed a day as of last week, according to UNICEF.
- The situation in Gaza is further complicated by the tight control Israel maintains over entry to the region, with borders effectively sealed since October 7, 2023.
- Madonna's call for action serves as a reminder of the urgent need for humanitarian intervention and the power of consciousness to effect change, as the general news, politics, and cultural travel worlds closely watch the developing crisis in Gaza.
