Pope Francis on Monday deplored the desperate humanitarian situation of Palestinians in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire and the freeing of hostages in his Christmas message.
“My heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack on 7 October, and I reiterate my urgent appeal for the liberation of those still being held hostage,” the 86-year-old said in his traditional Urbi et Orbi message.
“I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by opening up to the provision of humanitarian aid,” he told thousands of faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
The Pope also called for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “through sincere and persevering dialogue between the parties, sustained by strong political will and the support of the international community.”
In his Christmas Eve message late Sunday, the pontiff had called for peace in the Holy Land.
“Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world,” the Pope said.
The head of 1.3 billion Catholics in his address also evoked the conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, saying he prayed “that political and social stability will soon be attained.”
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
