Pope Leo decries conditions for Palestinians in Gaza

Pope Leo decried conditions for Palestinians in Gaza in his Christmas sermon on Thursday, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus.



Leo, the first U.S. pope, said the story of Jesus ‌being born in a stable showed that God had "pitched his fragile tent" among the people of the world.



"How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?" he asked.



Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis, has a more quiet, diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from making political references in his sermons.



But the new pope has also lamented the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza several times recently and told journalists last month that the only solution in the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people must include a Palestinian state.