Pope Francis, the head of the Vatican, renewed his call for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza today, urging an end to the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Addressing a global congregation of over 1.35 billion Catholics worldwide on Wednesday, Pope Francis stated, “I reiterate my appeal for an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons,” according to Reuters.
He continued, “We want this great suffering of Israelis and Palestinians to come to an end,” and called for the release of all Israeli hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The war between Israel and Hamas entered its sixty-seventh day on Tuesday, following an unprecedented attack by Hamas inside Israeli territory that began on October 7th. The conflict has resulted in 1,200 casualties, with the majority occurring on the first day, according to Israeli authorities.
Additionally, around 240 individuals were abducted and taken to Gaza, with 137 still held captive. Israel initiated a ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27th.
