U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Sunday to address the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, according to separate statements released by the White House and the Vatican.
During the approximately 20-minute call, both leaders emphasized “the need to prevent escalation in the region and to work toward a durable peace in the Middle East,” as stated by the White House.
The Vatican’s statement highlighted that the conversation primarily revolved around “conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace.”
More Read
Hamas initiated the conflict on October 7, resulting in the tragic loss of over 1,400 lives. In response, Israel conducted retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, a 45 km-long (25-mile) strip of land within the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, home to 2.3 million people. Since the conflict began, Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 4,700 people, as reported by Palestinian officials.
In the call, President Biden, a devout Catholic, condemned Hamas’s attack and stressed the importance of safeguarding civilians in Gaza, according to the White House. The leaders also discussed Biden’s recent visit to Israel and the ongoing efforts to deliver essential humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, to Gaza.
Pope Francis, deeply concerned about the situation, has consistently called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during their October 7 attack. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Sunday that following the release of two U.S. citizens on Friday, the United States hoped for more hostages to be freed by Hamas.
Earlier in the day, Pope Francis addressed crowds in St. Peter’s Square, expressing his profound sadness over the crisis in Gaza. He specifically mentioned the bombing of an Anglican hospital and a Greek Orthodox church, urging an end to the violence, saying, “Brothers, stop.”
The head of the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic, underscoring the urgent need for international intervention to alleviate the suffering of the affected population.
