VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo hopes that a plan to end the war in Gaza will soon reach the “desired results,” he says, after acknowledging the significant steps made in negotiations to end the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terror group.
Speaking during his weekly Angelus prayer, the pontiff asks all relevant parties to commit to the peace process, emphasizing the urgent need to end the conflict and establish a “just and lasting peace.”
“In recent hours, amid the dramatic situation in the Middle East, some significant steps forward have been taken in the peace negotiations, which I hope will soon achieve the desired results,” the pope tells faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
He also renews calls for a permanent ceasefire in the nearly two-year conflict — which began when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages — and the release of the hostages still held by terror groups in Gaza.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 5, 2025
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