The Israeli government shared and then deleted a social media post offering condolences over the death of Pope Francis, without saying why, though an Israeli newspaper linked the decision to the late pontiff's criticism of the war in Gaza.

Israels official social media account briefly posted and then deleted a message mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 22 at age 88. The post on X read, Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.

Among the many condolence messages sent from around the world following the death of Pope Francis, the near-total silence from Israel stood out. Aside from a statement by President Isaac Herzog, who expressed condolences to the Catholic world and voiced hope that “his memory will inspire acts of kindness and hope for humanity,