VATICAN CITY.- This Sunday, the papa Francisco called to stop “the revenge spiral” in Middle East and asked respect the sovereignty of countrieson the eve of the anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel that unleashed the conflict in the region.
“Tomorrow will mark one year since the terrorist attack against the population in Israel, to which I renew my closeness. Let us not forget that there are still many hostages in Gazafor which I ask immediate release“said the pontiff after the angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace.
The holy father lamented that, since that day, the Middle East “has fallen into increasingly grave suffering with destructive military operations that continue to hit” the Palestinians.
“This population is suffering a lot in Gaza and in the other territories, they are mostly innocent civilians, people who should receive humanitarian aid,” he noted.
The bishop of Rome then called for “an immediate ceasefire on all fronts,” also in Lebanon, recently invaded by Israel in its war with Hezbollah militias.
“Let us pray for the Lebanese, especially for the inhabitants of the south, forced to leave their villages,” he encouraged the faithful who listened to him from the St. Peter’s Square.
Peter’s successor led a appeal to the international community so that “the spiral of revenge is stopped and that attacks such as those carried out by Iran against Israel are not repeated, because “they can precipitate that region into an even greater war,” he warned.
“All nations have the right to exist in peace and security and their territories should not be attacked or invaded. Sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed by dialogue and peace and not by hatred or war,” he said.
Pope Francis will participate this afternoon in a day of prayer for peace in the Roman basilica of Santa María La Mayor.
“Let us unite with the force of good against the diabolical plots of war,” he concluded.
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