Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences on behalf of Israel following the death of Pope Francis, AFP reports.
“The State of Israel expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Church and the Catholic community worldwide at the passing of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace,” Netanyahu’s office posted on X late Thursday.
It was Netanyahu’s first statement since the announcement of the pope’s death on Monday.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, was among the first world dignitaries to respond to the Pope’s death, praising him as “a man of deep faith and boundless compassion”.