Pope Francis says his greatest fear is military escalation in Gaza
Pope Francis said his greatest fear is military escalation in Gaza, saying the conflict that began last October ‘is dramatically broadening’.
“There were the Oslo accords, so clear, with the twostate solution. Until that agreement isn’t applied, real peace remains distant,” he told Italian daily la Stampa in an interview published on Monday. “The conflict can further worsen the tensions and violence which afflict the planet.”
The pontiff, however, said he is moderately hopeful on the meetings happening behind the scenes to reach an agreement between the two factions at war. “A truce would already be a good result,” he said.
Asked about what the Holy See is doing in this phase of the war between Israel and Hamas, he said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, is a key figure in the Vatican’s efforts in the area.
“He is great. He is making good moves. He is trying to mediate with determination,” he said.
The Pope added that Christians and the people of Gaza - not Hamas - have the right to live in peace and that his other priority is the return of the Israeli hostages held in the enclave.
He said he holds daily video calls with the Christian parish in Gaza, which hosts around 600 people.
“We see each other on Zoom, I speak to the people. They are going on with their lives every day while facing death.”
Tensions in the Middle East are high with several overlapping crises. Besides Israel’s war on Gaza and its exchange of fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis are targeting Israellinked commercial ships in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinians, and the US and allies are conducting retaliatory strikes.
Attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria have also increased.
Scholz, Sisi discuss humanitarian efforts
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has discussed the humanitarian efforts for Gaza in a phone call today with Egyptian President Abdel-fattah al-sisi, a government spokesman said on Monday. Scholz reiterated that the German government believes that a two-state solution is the right prospect for Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and security.