Pope Francis called this Sunday, again, for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Middle East and that the Israeli hostages held by Hamas be released, on the eve of the first anniversary of the attack by the Palestinian Islamist group that unleashed the war in Gaza.
According to the criteria of
“Tomorrow will be the first anniversary of the terrorist attack against the population of Israel, for whom I renew my support. Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gaza whose immediate release I ask,” declared the pope after the Angelus prayer.
“Since that day, the Middle East was plunged into increasingly serious suffering, with destructive military actions that continue to hit the Palestinian population,” added Jorge Bergoglio.
“These are above all innocent civilians, people who should receive the necessary humanitarian aid,” he said.
“I ask for an immediate ceasefire, on all fronts, including the Lebanese one,” the Supreme Pontiff insisted.
Francis invited the international community to act “to put an end to the spiral of revenge and to ensure that attacks, such as the one committed by Iran a few days ago, are not repeated, as they could drag that region into an even greater war.”
“All nations have the right to exist in peace and security. Their territories should not be attacked or invaded. Sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed through dialogue and peace,” concluded the pope, who has called for a ceasefire. fire on numerous occasions, as well as the release of Israeli hostages and increased humanitarian aid for the Palestinians.
The pontiff later presided over a prayer for peace in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major and lamented in his homily “a world in danger” in a time “ravaged by wars.”
The attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas on October 7 in Israel left 1,205 dead, mostly civilians, according to a count based on official Israeli figures that includes hostages killed in captivity.
The Israeli offensive in the Strip has so far caused 41,870 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian territory, governed by Hamas, whose data are considered reliable by the UN.
#Pope #Francis #calls #ceasefire #Middle #East #nations #exist #peace