Pope Francis celebrated the interruption of fighting in the Gaza Strip, this Sunday (19), after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas group came into force, interrupting a 15-month war that brought devastation and profound political changes to the region. Middle East.
After the weekly prayer of AngelusFrancis also asked people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for reconciliation and hoped for the release of all the hostages that Hamas still holds in Gaza in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
“It was recently announced that the ceasefire in Gaza will come into effect today. I express my gratitude to all the mediators. It is a good job to mediate, so that peace can be achieved”, expressed the pontiff.
The pontiff continued: “I thank the mediators and all parties involved in this important result. I hope that, when it is agreed, it will be immediately respected by the parties and that all hostages [israelenses] can finally return home to hug their loved ones. I pray a lot for them, for their families.”
“I hope that the political authority on both sides, with the help of the international community, can reach the right solution for both states. I hope everyone can say yes to dialogue, yes to reconciliation, yes to peace. And we pray for this, for dialogue, reconciliation and peace”, added Francisco.
Hamas, which controls the coastal territory of Gaza, began the war by attacking cities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages.
Israel’s bombing of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas killed nearly 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. That includes thousands of Hamas fighters and the group’s top military leaders, but the United Nations human rights office says most of the deaths it has seen are of women and children.
*With information from Reuters and Vatican News
