Pope Francis regularly called a church in Gaza to ask how residents there were doing during the Israel-Hamas war. He is remembered as a defender and consoling presence.

The late Pope Francis called Gaza’s only Catholic church every day during the war between Israel and Hamas, even during what he called his “period of trial” when he was hospitalised for nearly 40 days.

Pope Francis died quickly on Monday morning from an unexpected stroke without suffering undue pain, and there was nothing that doctors could have done to save his life, the head of the pontiff's medical team said in interviews published on Thursday.