Pop icon Madonna has issued a public plea for Pope Leo XIV to travel to the Gaza Strip, saying the pontiff’s presence could help open humanitarian corridors and save children facing acute hunger and violence. “Most Holy Father, please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” she wrote in a message released on 11 August, the 25th birthday of her son Rocco. The singer added that politics had failed to protect civilians and that the Pope is "the only one of us who cannot be denied entry." She also called for the release of Israeli hostages, stressing she was not "pointing fingers" in the conflict. Madonna’s intervention comes as international agencies warn that Gaza’s humanitarian emergency is worsening. UNICEF estimates that more than 18,000 children have been killed since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October 2023, while Gaza’s health authorities say at least 222 people—including 101 children—have already died from malnutrition. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported last month that famine conditions are unfolding across the enclave. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Madonna for her “compassion, solidarity and commitment” toward Gaza’s children. The Vatican has not commented on the appeal, but Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned the war and last month urged an immediate cease-fire, saying he was following the plight of Gaza’s young with “great concern.” Whether Israeli authorities would allow a papal delegation to enter the blockaded territory remains uncertain.