Pope Leo has used his Christmas sermon to condemn conditions in Gaza where Palestinians are living in tents in freezing conditions.
Leo, the first US 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. He was marking his first Christmas since being elected in May by the world's cardinals to succeed the late Pope Francis.
Pope Leo has a quieter, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from political references in his sermons.
But he has lamented conditions for Palestinians in Gaza several times and said last month a solution to the decades-long conflict with Israel must include a Palestinian state.
Displaced by the war in Gaza, Palestinians seek warmth by the fireside at a camp in the enclave. AP
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October after two years of intense bombardment and military operations.
But humanitarian agencies say there is still too little aid getting into Gaza, where nearly the entire population for more than two million is homeless.
In Thursday's service with thousands crowded into St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Leo also lamented conditions for the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by the wars roiling the world.
"Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds," said the Pope.
"Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and
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