Pope Francis received at the Vatican, separately and privately, a delegation of relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists and another of relatives of Palestinians who They live in Gaza, on 22 November, Wednesday.
Specifically, there were 12 Israelis and 10 Palestinians who met with the Holy Father. In the meetings, each lasting 20 minutes, those affected by the war ravaging the Holy Land have had the opportunity to tell their stories to the Pontiff and have expressed their desire for peace.
During this time, Hamas has agreed to the release of at least 50 of the kidnapped hostages, in exchange for the release of 150 minor Palestinian women who are in Israeli prisons.
More than 40 days since the war began, nearly 13,300 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza, of which about 5,600 are children. In Israel, the dead are estimated at 1,200.
After the meetings, Pope Francis participated as every Wednesday in the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. At the end of his catechism, he referred to these meetings and stated that “this is no longer war, this is terrorism.”
He urged “to persevere in prayer for all those who suffer because of wars in so many parts of the world” especially for Ukraine and for Israel and Palestine.
The Holy Father stated that he has “heard how both suffer: wars do this, but here we have gone beyond wars, this is not waging war, this is terrorism. Please, let us move forward for peace, let us pray for peace, let us pray a lot for peace.”
“May the Lord put his hand there, may the Lord help us solve the problems and not continue with the passions that in the end kill everyone. We pray for the Palestinian people, we pray for the Israeli people, so that peace may come,” he asked.
After the audience, both delegations offered different press conferences to speak to the media about their meeting with Pope Francis.
The members of the Palestine group told with sadness and a tired expression how the Israeli bombs had ended the lives of many of their relatives.
They noted that the Pontiff had referred to what is happening in Gaza as a “genocide” and that he had pointed out that “terrorism cannot be responded to with terrorism.”
Despite the repeated confirmation of the Palestinian delegation, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, denied that the Pontiff had spoken of “genocide,” and stated that he used “the terms with which he has expressed himself.” during the General Hearing and words that in any case represent the terrible situation that exists in Gaza.”
When asked by journalists, Shireen Halil, a Palestinian and Christian woman from Bethlehem, reiterated that they have met with the Holy Father to “ask for peace and justice” and not to “manipulate the Pope’s words.”
Shireen herself highlighted that at the beginning of the audience they felt “astonished” by the amount of information the Holy Father knew about the conflict.
For his part, Mohammed Halalo, who lives in Belgium, said that just a few days ago a bomb from an Israeli airstrike fell on the building where his relatives lived. “My entire family has lost their lives in an instant,” he lamented.
Palestinian Yousef Alkhoury conveyed his fear that “we are getting used to the blood” of war and noted that Pope Francis has been asked to visit Gaza.
Halalo stated that the Holy Father responded that it is “a good idea” and that he “promised” to consult him through diplomatic channels to study a safe time to go. “We believe that his presence can bring peace to the region,” he said.
In response to one of the journalists who asked them about their perception of Hamas, the Palestinian delegation preferred not to make any statement on the matter.
The relatives of those kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in Gaza also had time to present their conclusions after the visit to the Holy Father. Of the 12, 8 of them were able to speak alone with the Pontiff.
During the press conference, Moshe Leimberg said that his wife and 17-year-old daughter were taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October.
“We haven’t seen or heard anything since then. It’s been 47 days. And I am alone. Every day I wake up… and wait a minute or two to hear the familiar sounds I’m used to hearing, and there’s nothing. “My family has been taken away from me, and my life is no longer what it was and it will never be again.”