Pope Francis denounced the “extremely serious” humanitarian situation in Gaza while calling for the release of captives and a ceasefire in the war-torn coastal enclave.
In his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) Christmas speech Wednesday at the Vatican, Francis also called for peace in Ukraine and Sudan.
“I am thinking of the Christian communities of Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely serious. Let there be a ceasefire, let the hostages be released and aid be provided to populations exhausted by hunger and war,” he declared.
Israel has killed at least 45,361 Palestinians in its war on Gaza and injured 107,803 since October 7, 2023, the day a Hamas-led operation began in Israel in which 1,139 people were killed and around 200 were captured.
Israel’s so-called “retaliation” has displaced almost the entire population of Gaza and left much of the enclave in ruins.
The 88-year-old, celebrating the 12th Christmas of his pontificate, called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, notably in Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
“I invite each individual and all people of all nations (…) to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the noise of arms and to overcome divisions,” the pope said.
End of the war in Ukraine
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to thousands in the square below, the pope said: “Let the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine.” »
He also called for “gestures of dialogue and meeting, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace”.
Francis was criticized by Ukrainian officials this year when he said the country should have the “white flag” courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously ruled out engaging in peace talks without restoring Ukraine’s pre-war borders. But Zelensky has shown an increasing willingness to begin negotiations in the weeks following Donald Trump’s re-election as US president.
Earlier in December, Zelensky floated the idea of a diplomatic settlement that would involve a “freeze” of the current battle lines and the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine. Russia has demanded that Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join the NATO military alliance.
The head of the Catholic Church also called for silencing the guns in Sudan, ravaged by 20 months of brutal civil war where millions of people are threatened with famine.
“May the Son of the Most High support the efforts of the international community to facilitate access to humanitarian aid for the civilian population of Sudan and begin new negotiations for a ceasefire,” he said. declared.
Earlier this week, a United Nations-backed global hunger monitoring group said famine was spreading in Sudan.
The war began in April 2023 when long-simmering tensions between military and paramilitary forces of the Rapid Support Forces exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading to the rest of the country.
The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings and rapes, according to the UN and human rights groups.
The International Criminal Court is investigating allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.