Pope Francis said the people who have been trapped in a parish in Gaza had a decent meal for the first time in a long time, after a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hamas.

Pope Francis called for the respect of the ceasefire declared in the Gaza Strip and for the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to the population.

Pope Francis expressed the hope that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, “would be respected immediately by all the parties [involved]” and would lead to “the release of all the hostages” and the rapid provision of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza.

JERUSALEM — Pope Francis and Catholic leaders in the Holy Land are praying that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that began Sunday local time will bring a brighter future for the people of Gaza and the Middle East as a whole.

He thanked both Trump and Biden, as well as Qatar and Egypt. The Pope's first words of gratitude were directed towards the key mediators who, in recent weeks, have worked tirelessly to broker

Pope Francis thanked the negotiators of the peace deal between Israel and Hamas in an interview on Sunday, saying, “Peace takes courage.”

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful".

Rome's chief Jewish rabbi on Thursday sharply criticised Pope Francis over the pontiff's recent ramping up of criticism against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in an unusually forceful speech during an annual Catholic-Jewish dialogue event.

"Thanks to all the parties involved in this important outcome. I hope it'll be immediately respected by the parties and all the hostages will finally be able to go home to hug their loved ones again"

Vásquez was most recently selected by Francis to oversee the Diocese of Tyler, also in Texas, after he dismissed its former bishop, Joseph Strickland, who had openly accused the pope of being a heretic and called into question the validity of his leadership.

"Dear Pope Francis, your words and actions regarding the State of Israel are not just disappointing but represent a historical danger to Jewish communities. You have lent papal authority to

Pope Francis has stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel ’s military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave “shameful”. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.