LONDON

The Irish president on Monday expressed her thoughts with millions around the world who are affected by wars and displacement, especially the people of Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan.

"We hold in our thoughts the millions of people worldwide who are enduring the devastating impacts of interconnected crises of climate change, war, conflict, and displacement, the many families this Christmas who will sadly experience fear, uncertainty, or profound loss," Catherine Connolly said in her first Christmas message as president.

"In particular, we think of the people of Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan," she said in her address delivered in both Irish and English.

"Our own history, marked by forced emigration and loss, gives us a lived understanding of the brutal realities of dispossession, hunger and war.

"We think of those who are missing loved ones, those who may be struggling or without a home, those who are ill, and those who feel alone and lonely," Connolly said.

She also extended her deep gratitude to the members of the Irish Defense Forces, "who will spend this Christmas overseas, separated from their loved ones, safeguarding peace and protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our shared global family, in regions far from our shores."

Her message comes as Israel, which killed more than 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza over two years, continues to violate the Oct. 10 ceasefire.

In Sudan, civil war between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continues unabated, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Efforts also continue to end Russia's war on Ukraine, which has continued since February 2022.