Bishop Dónal McKeown of Derry joined other Irish bishops in calling for an end to hostilities in the Middle East. The statement came during the second day of the bishops' spring general meeting in Maynooth.

The bishops addressed violence triggered by a US-Israeli attack on Iran over the weekend. That operation, named Epic Fury, killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei on Saturday. A strike on a girls' primary school in Minab, southern Iran, the same day killed 150 people and wounded nearly 100 others. The United Nations condemned the school attack as a violation of humanitarian law.

Iran responded to the US-Israeli campaign with missile strikes on targets in Gulf states and Israel. Air strikes on Iran continued into a fourth day on Tuesday.

Bishop McKeown stated that people in the Middle East face an unjust war resulting in innocent deaths. He said war destroys lives and offers no solution amid shifting global balances. He stressed the need for international diplomacy focused on peace and justice.

The bishops expressed concern for Irish citizens in affected countries and Irish Defence Forces members on peacekeeping missions. They offered prayers for those impacted and joined Pope Leo XIV in urging all parties to stop the violence.

UN human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani condemned the Minab school strike. She highlighted the horror of children killed at school. UN rights chief Volker Türk called for an investigation into civilian impacts.