BEN GURION AIRPORT (Israel) - POPE Benedict XVI on Monday pleaded for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace deal, in a speech he delivered at the start of a five-day trip to Israel and the occupied West Bank.

'Even though the name Jerusalem means 'city of peace,' it is all too evident that, for decades, peace has tragically eluded the inhabitants of this holy land,' he said at the welcoming ceremony.

Christians allowed out of Gaza for pope visit GAZA CITY - DOZENS of Palestinian Christians from the Gaza Strip were allowed to cross into the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday in advance of a visit by Pope Benedict XVI, a Gaza border official said. Israel has granted 95 permits for Christians from the isolated and impoverished territory to travel to the West Bank town of Bethlehem where the pope will give a mass and visit a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday. ... more

'The hopes of countless men, women and children for a more secure and stable future depend on the outcome of negotiations for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

'I plead with all those responsible to explore every possible avenue in the search for a just resolution of the outstanding difficulties so that both peoples may live in peace in a homeland of their own within secure and internationally recognised borders.

'I hope and pray that the climate of greater trust can soon be created that will enable the parties to make real progress along the road to peace and stability,' the pope said. -- AFP