Pope Francis delivered a charged political Christmas message in which he bemoaned the "appalling harvest" of innocent civilians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
From the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, the 87-year-old called for an end to conflicts across the globe as thousands filled the square in the Vatican City on Christmas Day.
But the pontiff, who has been head of the Catholic Church since 2013, used a large segment of his speech to address the conflict in Israel and Palestine.
He told the large gathering his "heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of October 7."
Hamas' surprise attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel and the abduction of approximately 240 hostages.
The Associated Press estimated around 20,400 people have been killed in Gaza amid Israel's campaign against Hamas who control the densely-populated area.
"May it [peace] come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those peoples. I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land," he said according to Reuters.
"I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid," he also said in his speech.
The Vatican maintains diplomatic relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority supports a two-state solution and called for "persevering dialogue between the parties."
He then hit out against the weapons trade and called for further investigations of the armaments trade.
"And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales, and trade are on the rise?" he said according to Reuters.
Newsweek has contacted Israel's Ministry of Defense for comment via email.
Pope Francis also referenced the Christian communities in Gaza "and the entire Holy Land." The Holy Land refers to the historic region of Palestine and the Land of Israel in the Bible.
Local leaders in Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, made the decision to cancel all public Christmas festivities.
According to the Associated Press, the decision was made in solidarity with the Palestinian population, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which is home to an estimated 2 million Palestinians, continues.
Typically, the streets in Bethlehem are busy with foreign tourists and are full of holiday decorations and vendors selling ornaments and figurines.
Update 12/25/23 10:51 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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