Pope Francis, in his Christmas message on Monday, condemned the “desperate humanitarian situation” of the Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an end to military operations in the war between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages still being held in the Strip.
“I carry in my heart the pain for the victims of the sinful attack that occurred on October 7, and I renew my urgent appeal for the release of the hostages who are still being held,” the Pope said.
He added, “I appeal to stop the military operations and their horrific consequences, resulting in innocent civilian casualties. I request that the desperate humanitarian situation be addressed by allowing aid to arrive.”
He continued in front of thousands of believers who gathered in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, “Stop fueling violence and hatred, and move towards resolving the Palestinian issue, through an honest and continuous dialogue between the two parties, supported by a strong political will and the support of the international community.”
More than two months after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, the Gaza Strip is facing a severe humanitarian crisis after the widespread destruction it suffered as a result of the Israeli bombing, and about 85 percent of its population of 2.4 million people were forced to flee, according to the United Nations.
Israel tightened its siege on the Gaza Strip after the war, cutting off supplies of electricity, water, fuel, food and medicine. Over the past weeks, convoys of aid have entered the Gaza Strip, but international organizations confirm that they do not meet the needs of the population in the Palestinian Strip.
Israel vowed to “eliminate” Hamas after the unprecedented and violent attack launched by the movement on October 7, which resulted in 1,140 deaths, most of them civilians, according to the latest Israeli official figures.
On that day, Hamas militants kidnapped about 250 people, 129 of whom are still detained in Gaza, according to Israel.
The Israeli bombing killed 20,424 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them women, teenagers and children, according to the latest report issued by the Hamas Ministry of Health. 1.9 million people were forced to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
The war led to the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in the Palestinian territories, especially the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the city of Bethlehem, in the West Bank.
#Pope #Francis #condemns #desperate #humanitarian #situation #Gaza #Strip
2023-12-25 12:03:35
