In an address to thousands of worshippers on St. Peter’s Square Sunday, Pope Francis called for peace in Gaza, AFP reports. He appealed for “concrete gestures to build peace” after the “tragic events of the last few days.”
As Israeli air strikes continue to pummel the Gaza Strip, Pope Francis urged “all interested parties and all in local and international political office not to spare in prayer and efforts to cease hostilities.”
Pope Francis held a joint prayer in the Vatican with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June after visiting the Middle East in May, according to AFP. The joint prayer was an attempt to dissolve tension between Israelis and Palestinians over a Hamas-Fatah unity government.
This recent escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians has left at least 165 Palestinians dead. World powers are preparing to meet in Vienna to discuss the conflict.
