Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:32am on 11 Oct 2023,Wednesday International
Pope Francis called for the immediate release of hostages in the Israel-Hamas fighting and expressed concern over the siege of Gaza. He said attacked parties have a right to defend themselves but warned against revenge and hatred fueling more suffering. The pope said terrorism and extremism don't aid peace between Israelis and Palestinians, only justice, dialogue and fraternity can. As the death toll sharply rose with Israel's bombardment and Hamas' assault, Francis said the region needs peace not war. His plea underscored alarm over the human impact of the conflict that has killed over 2,100 amid a mounting casualty toll and humanitarian crisis.
