‘Stop, stop!’ Pope Francis urges over Israel-Hamas conflict

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis pleaded Sunday for an end to the Israeli-Hamas conflict amid fears it could widen, and called for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip.

“War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop! Stop!” Pope Francis said after his traditional Angelus prayer in Rome’s Saint Peter’s Square.

“I renew my call for spaces to be opened, for humanitarian aid to continue to arrive and for hostages to be freed,” the 86-year-old pontiff said.

Hamas militants

stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct 7,

killing at least 1,400 people.

Israel’s retaliatory bombing campaign

has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and reduced swathes of densely populated Gaza to smouldering ruins.

Alarm has grown about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel has cut off water, food and power.

A first trickle of

aid entered the besieged Strip on Saturday,

but UN officials said the 20 trucks permitted to cross were not enough given the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation for 2.4 million people.

Two

US hostages were released Friday

but over 200 people abducted by the militants are still being held. AFP