Pope Francis condemns the “death spiral” in the Holy Land and calls for ways of dialogue

Pope Francis has joined the chorus of voices calling for calm and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians to stop what he defined as a “growing death spiral” in the Middle East.

“It is with great pain that I learn of the news coming from the Holy Land,” the Pope said. “In particular, the death of 10 Palestinians, including a woman, during Israeli anti-terrorist military actions in Palestine, and what happened near Jerusalem on Friday night, when seven Israeli Jews were killed by a Palestinian and three were wounded as they were leaving a Synagogue.”

“The death spiral that increases day by day does nothing more than close the few loopholes of trust that exist between the two peoples. Since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinians have been killed in firefights with the Israeli army. I appeal to the two governments and to the international community to find immediately, without delay, other paths that include dialogue and the sincere search for peace“.

Around 25,000 faithful flocked to Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican to listen to Francis, who will next Tuesday he will begin an apostolic trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

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