In a speech to commemorate the conclusion of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan on Friday, 12th April 2024, Pope Francis said that he was “greatly” affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In a message to the Al Arabiya Network to commemorate the conclusion of Ramadan, the 87-year-old Pope remarked, “I suffer greatly because of the conflict in Palestine and Israel. “May the Gaza Strip, where a humanitarian crisis is still raging, see an instant cease-fire.” Francis prayed, May aid reach the greatly suffering Palestinian people, and may the hostages taken in October be freed.

He also mentioned “war-torn Syria, Lebanon, and the entire Middle East” in his statement made public by the Vatican. “Enough is enough! The Pope exclaimed” “Please, stop the clash of arms and think of the children, all the children, as you do your children. They do not need mass graves and tombs; they need homes, parks, and schools.”

The October 7 onslaught by Hamas sparked the bloodiest-ever Gaza conflict, with an AFP assessment of Israeli official data indicating that 1,170 people died in Israel, most of them civilians.

The Health Ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, reports that at least 33,634 individuals have died as a result of Israel’s retaliatory campaign, the majority of whom were women and children.

In addition, Palestinian Militants took some 250 hostages during their assault on Israel. 129 hostages are still detained, but Hamas has admitted that it is unsure of how many of them are still alive.

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