Pope urges prayers for Palestinians, Israelis

ROME

Pope Francis on Sunday urged faithful not to forget Palestine and Israel in their prayers and for the many people torn apart by the war in Gaza.

In his weekly Angelus message, the pontiff urged the provision of concrete assistance to those suffering, especially "the wounded, innocent children."

His comments came as negotiations for a temporary cease-fire have resumed in Qatar among representatives of the host country, Egypt, the US, Israel, and Palestinian group Hamas.

The negotiations follow talks in Paris where involved officials reached agreement on a framework for the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails, amid a pause in fighting for six weeks.

The pope also urged a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine, a day after the second anniversary of the beginning of Russia's war on the country.

In his remarks, he pleaded "for the recovery of that little bit of humanity that will allow the conditions for a diplomatic solution to be created in the search for a just and lasting peace."

The war in Ukraine "is not only devastating the region of Europe, but unleashing a global wave of fear and hatred," he said.