Pope: I Feel Sad About the Conflict in Palestine and Israel

Pope Francis expressed his "sadness" regarding the "conflict in Palestine and Israel" amid the ongoing war between the Israeli state and the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, in a message he sent on the occasion of the end of Ramadan. In a message written by the 84-year-old pope, he stated: "On the occasion of the end of Ramadan, I feel sad about the conflict between Palestine and Israel." He called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where a humanitarian disaster is occurring, and urged for aid to reach the suffering Palestinian population, as well as for the release of hostages taken in October. The pope also referred to "the tormented Syria, Lebanon, and all of the Middle East." He continued in his message: "Enough, stop! Please, halt the sounds of weapons and think of the children, of all children as you think of your own." He added: "They need homes, schools, and gardens, not graves and trenches!"