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Pope Francis held separate meetings on Wednesday with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, acknowledging the profound suffering experienced by both sides in the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
After his weekly audience at the Vatican, the 86-year-old pontiff shared that he had received two delegations – one comprised of Israelis with relatives held hostage in Gaza and another consisting of Palestinians with family members imprisoned in Israel. Pope Francis emphasized the shared pain of these families, stating, "They suffer a lot, and I heard how they both suffer."
In a heartfelt plea for peace, the Pope urged the audience gathered in St. Peter's Square to join him in prayers for an end to the longstanding conflict. Reflecting on the gravity of the situation, he remarked, "Wars do this, but here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war, this is terrorism."
The Pope's comments, delivered with a compassionate tone, did not explicitly specify whether he was addressing the October 7th attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel's subsequent military operation in Gaza, or both. Nevertheless, his overarching message focused on the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict, emphasizing the toll it takes on civilians caught in the crossfire.
As the Pope's calls for peace resonate globally, attention turns to the ongoing efforts to bring about a meaningful and lasting reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, with hopes that dialogue and understanding will prevail over the cycles of violence that have marred the region for decades.
