No Israeli government official will attend Pope Francis funeral 

While most major nations will be sending heads of state or government, or royalty, to the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, Israel will be represented only by its ambassador to the Vatican, Haaretz newspaper is reporting. 

“The decision to keep the representation at the lowest level possible is a sign of how far Israel’s relations with the Vatican have deteriorated since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023," the Haaretz report said, citing diplomats. 

The Vatican's announcement of the death of Pope Francis on Monday morning was met with a mix of celebration and criticism in Israel, where politicians, pundits and social media users focused on the pontiff's condemnation of Israel amid its war on the Gaza Strip. 

The pope, aged 88, passed away after denouncing the "deplorable humanitarian situation" caused by Israel's onslaught on Gaza and expressing his "closeness to the sufferings… of all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people" in his final address on Easter Sunday.