Pope Francis supports ceasefire in Gaza
Pope Francis, the leader of the world's Catholics, supported the ceasefire in Gaza in a speech.
In his speech on Sunday, June 9, Pope Francis called for the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire, and the release of prisoners by the Israeli regime and Hamas.
More than eight months have passed since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel, which has killed more than 37,000 people in Gaza, most of them women, children and civilians. About 85 percent of Gaza's population has also been displaced from their homes, and much of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed.
According to the Associated Press, the Pope said: "I call on the international community to act immediately and in every way to help the people of Gaza, who have been devastated by the war. Humanitarian aid must reach those in need, and no one can prevent it."
The Pope also expressed support and hope for the acceptance of the new ceasefire plan, adding: "I hope that the proposed plans for peace, in all aspects and for the release of prisoners, will be accepted immediately for the sake of the Palestinians and the Israelis, although the negotiations on this will not be easy."
The plan that Pope Francis spoke about was announced in recent weeks by US President Joe Biden, who stated that the Israeli regime had offered Hamas a new three-stage plan that included a roadmap to end the fighting in Gaza and release prisoners.
The steps of this proposal are as follows:
- A general ceasefire. The withdrawal of the occupying regime's soldiers from all residential areas and the release of some prisoners held by Hamas, including the elderly, the wounded, and women, as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners.
- Indefinite cessation of hostilities in exchange for the release of the remaining prisoners.
- A plan to begin the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza, where, according to a UN report, 60 percent of its vital infrastructure has been destroyed by the Israeli regime's indiscriminate attacks.
The plan has received regional and international support, but Hamas has not yet given any official response to the plan. International and regional efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement are ongoing.
