Pope Francis regularly called a church in Gaza to ask how residents there were doing during the Israel-Hamas war. He is remembered as a defender and consoling presence.

The parish priest of Gaza's only Catholic church talks about getting daily calls from Pope Francis during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

In Jerusalem, mourners gathered at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to remember Pope Francis, who championed peace across the Middle East. Local clergy say he called Gaza’s only Catholic parish daily,

In a rare apology to the United Nations, Israel said its forces had struck a U.N. compound in Gaza with tank fire. A Bulgarian aid worker was killed.

The Israeli military acknowledged on Thursday that it was responsible for killing a United Nations aid worker in a strike on a UN guesthouse in Gaza last month, backtracking on its previous denials in the face of mounting public evidence of Israeli responsibility.

Israel had previously denied its troops were responsible for the killing of a UN worker with tank fire on 19 March.

France, Germany and Britain meanwhile said Israel's seven-week blockade on all imports to Gaza was "intolerable."

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday. Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago.

Kehlani, who has enjoyed chart-topping success for nearly a decade, has for years been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian people. In a video for their song "Next 2 U" released in 2024, the singer appeared before a Palestinian flag and incorporated the words "long live the intifada," a popular refrain at protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

The R&B singer’s outspoken support for Palestinians had drawn criticism on the campus and beyond. Some students expressed disappointment at the cancellation.