On Sunday, during the ninth day of Israeli bombardment against Gaza, Pope Francis called for the organization of humanitarian corridors to assist the entire population of the Gaza Strip.
RELATED:
Lebanon: Missile Falls on UN Peacekeeping Mission Headquarters
Francis urged respect for “humanitarian law” that must be guaranteed “especially in Gaza, where it is urgent and necessary to guarantee humanitarian corridors to assist the entire population.”
The pope urged in his new appeal that “children, the sick, the elderly, women and all civilians not become victims of the conflict” and that “no more innocent blood be shed.”
Francis expressed his deep sorrow at the new upsurge of violence unleashed in the Middle East. “I follow with great sorrow what is happening in Israel and Palestine, and I think especially of so many little ones and the elderly,” he said.
��VIDEO | During the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis urgently called for ending violence in Israel and Palestine, emphasizing that wars are a defeat, and invited all believers to join the Church in the Holy Land for a Day of Prayer and Fasting next Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/2J1P099e82
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican)
October 15, 2023
During the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope renewed his appeal for the release of hostages held by the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas.
“Enough, wars are always a defeat, always,” he said, lamenting that so many people have already died. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 2,600 people have died in Gaza and more than 9,000 have been injured by Israeli bombardments.
The Pope invited all believers to join the Church in the Holy Land in dedicating a day of prayer and fasting on October 17 next week. “Prayer and silent strength are holy and that is what must be offered to the diabolical force of hatred, terrorism and war,” Francis said.
#InPictures | Spanish citizens take to the streets of Barcelona and Madrid in support of the Palestinian people and in rejection of the large-scale attack by Israel. pic.twitter.com/AHzdgSUi6F
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
October 15, 2023
The international community has expressed its deep concern over the humanitarian crisis unleashed in the Gaza Strip, besieged by Israeli warplanes for more than a week.
Citizens are suffering from water, electricity, food and medicine shortages, a health system on the verge of collapse, while Israeli bombardments continue to target civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools.
Ashraf Al-Qudra, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, said that in the past 24 hours more than 300 people have been killed and another 800 injured, mostly children and women.
GAZA’S MINISTRY OF HEALTH: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the #Gaza Strip reported that the death toll has risen to 2,670. The number of wounded has risen to 9,600.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/9vQWXy1uqG pic.twitter.com/G6H7EvK792
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron)
October 15, 2023
Nine days after the escalation between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, one million people are reported to have been displaced.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated on Saturday that a massive displacement from northern Gaza to the south had been underway since Friday morning, after Israel ordered residents to evacuate those areas before the start of military operations.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged an immediate ceasefire in hostilities, calling for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza and for humanitarian corridors to be opened to deliver food and medicine.
