Pope Leo says Israeli strikes on Qatar create 'very serious' situation

Pope Leo, who typically refrains from speaking off the cuff, expressed unusually forceful concern on Tuesday about the consequences of Israel's strike in Qatar. "There's some really serious news right now: Israel's attack on some Hamas leaders in Qatar," the pontiff told journalists outside his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. "The entire situation is very serious," Leo said. "We do not know how things will go. It is really serious." Leo, the first US pope, has tended to take a diplomatic approach that is more muted than his predecessor, Pope Francis. Leo usually sticks to the Vatican's careful diplomatic language, but has been ramping up criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza. The pope met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog...