Pope Francis called for the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza by Israel when he addressed pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 25. “I am thinking of the grave situation in Palestine and Israel,” the pope said.
He prayed “for all those who suffer” and hoped that “paths of peace” may be found in the Middle East where war between Israel and Palestinians started on Oct. 7 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel. The pope also prayed for peace in Ukraine, which Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022, and for peace “in other regions wounded by war.”
This is the sixth time Francis has called for a stop to the war in Palestine and Israel. The U.N. secretary general and countries like Egypt and Turkey have also called for a ceasefire. The United States appealed for “a humanitarian pause” at the U.N. Security Council meeting on Oct. 24.
On Oct. 7, Hamas killed at least 1,405 people in southern Israel. The victims were mostly Israeli civilians but also included nationals of other countries, including the United States and Argentina, and 366 Israeli soldiers and police officers. Hamas took over 220 people hostage, including women, children and elderly civilians. Since then, Israel has bombed Gaza every day, killing at least 6,646 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 2,000 children, and injured some 16,000, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. Media outlets have not been able to independently verify those figures.
Today, Pope Francis renewed his call for the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where, according to the United Nations, 1.4 million people (out of a 2.3 million population) have been displaced in this enclave of 140 square miles. Food, water, medical supplies and fuel are also running low. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, 15 of Gaza’s 35 hospitals have closed down because of the lack of fuel. Israel has not allowed fuel into the enclave, despite calls to do so from the U.N., citing concerns that it would be diverted by Hamas. So far Israel has allowed fewer than 100 aid trucks into Gaza over four days; before the war, 500 trucks brought supplies into Gaza every day.
Pope Francis again encouraged the liberation of the hostages. Four have been released, but around 218 are still being held captive in Gaza by Hamas, likely in Gaza’s extensive network of underground tunnels.
The pope spoke the morning after Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer at the United Nations, told the Security Council that although dialogue seems impossible right now, it is the “only viable option for a lasting end to the cycle of violence” that has plagued the Holy Land.
“Amidst the escalating violence, it is imperative for the authorities of the state of Israel and the state of Palestine to demonstrate audacity to renew their commitment toward a peace based on justice and respect for the legitimate aspirations of both sides,” said the archbishop.
“The Holy See remains convinced that the two-state solution still offers hope for such a peace,” he said during a Security Council open debate Oct. 24 on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”
“In the most absolute terms and unequivocally,” the archbishop said, the Holy See condemns “the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas and other armed groups” against Israel.
“Thousands were barbarically killed and wounded. Others were taken hostage,” he said. “These crimes demonstrate utter contempt for human life and are unjustifiable,” he said, repeating the pope’s call for the release of hostages.
The “distressing escalation of violence,” the archbishop said, has caused “deplorable levels of suffering” in a land that is “so dear to Christians, Jews and Muslims.”
At the same time, Archbishop Caccia said that “the criminal responsibility for terrorist acts is always personal and can never be attributed to an entire nation or people,” for example, by blaming all Palestinians or even all the people of Gaza for the actions of Hamas and allied groups.
Israel’s right to self-defense, like the right of every nation attacked, “must always comply with international humanitarian law, including the principle of proportionality,” he said.
Francis concluded today’s audience by again reminding people that he has declared Friday, Oct. 27, as a day of fasting and prayer for peace and stability in the world and invited Christians around the world, as well as the followers of other religions, to join in this prayer.
Earlier, addressing Portuguese pilgrims attending the general audience, he said: “Let us not allow the clouds of conflict to hide the sun of hope. Rather, let us entrust to Our Lady the urgency of peace, so that all cultures may open to the breath of harmony of the Holy Spirit.”
Material from Catholic News Service was used in this report.
