Madonna has called on Pope Leo to visit Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing assault on the region, asking him to “bring your light to the children before it’s too late”.

“As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry,” the pop star wrote in an Instagram post. “We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children,” she continued. “There is no more time.”

In her caption, Madonna continued her plea. “Politics cannot effect change. Only consciousness can,” she wrote. “Therefore, I am reaching out to a man of God.” Encouraging followers to join her in donating to relief efforts, Madonna concluded, “I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.”

Tagging World Central Kitchen, Women Wage Peace, and Women of the Sun, she urged everyone who wants to help to donate to the mentioned organisations. At the end of her post, she tagged Pope Leo. The Vatican has yet to respond to Madonna’s post.