(PIC)
The Hamas Movement extended its sincere congratulations and blessings to Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of his election as the new head of the Catholic Church.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Hamas wished him success in fulfilling his spiritual and humanitarian mission amid the tragedies and disasters unfolding around the world, foremost among them the ongoing brutal Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas praised the courageous humanitarian stances expressed by the late Pope Francis, highlighting his repeated solidarity with the Palestinian people and his rejection of the Israeli occupation and its repressive policies.
Hamas expressed its hope that Pope Leo XIV would continue this ethical path, advocating for the oppressed and taking active steps in international forums to halt the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the Zionist occupation against children, women, and unarmed civilians in Gaza. The Movement also called for efforts to end the systematic violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine.
Earlier on Thursday, Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope of the Vatican, taking the name “Leo XIV,” succeeding Pope Francis and becoming the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church.
