Pope Leo XIV called on Sunday for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli prisoners held there, and a "just and lasting" peace in Ukraine.

In a sermon delivered from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square, where tens of thousands gathered to watch him recite his first prayer since his election, he urged "the world's most important leaders" to stop wars.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog plans to participate in the official inauguration ceremony for the new pope, claiming that this will "open a new page" between Israel and the Vatican, according to i24NEWS.

It's worth noting that the Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, who is considered a low-level diplomat, attended Pope Francis' funeral, which was attended by world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, who represented the United States.

This came after escalating tensions between Israel and the Vatican, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not issuing any statements of condolence on the death of Pope Francis. Herzog was the only Israeli official to issue one.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also deleted social media posts expressing condolences over the death of Pope Francis. The ministry explained this by stating that Pope Francis had strongly criticized Israel's war of extermination in Gaza, asserting that Israel was killing children and committing a possible war crime.