A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis flanked by Azione Cattolica youths at the end of his Angelus prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter’s Square, at Vatican City, on Sunday. Photo by Vatican Media/EPA-EFE
Jan. 29 (UPI) — Pope Francis on Sunday decried a recent surge in violence between Israel and Palestine while calling for peace in the Holy Land.
Francis’ comments were published by Vatican News, a news agency operated by the Holy See, and came after the deliverance of Sunday’s Angelus prayer.
“Since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinians have been killed in firefights with the Israeli army,” Francis said.
The pope also denounced the deaths of 10 people, including a woman, during an Israeli military raid in Palestine — as well as the deaths of seven people who were killed during a shooting outside of synagogue in East Jerusalem over the weekend.
“I appeal to the two Governments and the international community to find other paths, immediately and without delay, which include dialogue and the sincere search for peace,” Francis said.
Israeli police on Sunday sealed off the home of a Palestinian man who is alleged to have killed seven people and wounded three others during a shooting outside of a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov area of East Jerusalem on Friday.
“The forces seized the terrorist’s house on the night of the attack, evicted its occupants and arrested the terrorist’s relatives and family members,” Israeli Police said in a statement Sunday.
“The activity tonight ended without any unusual incidents and the terrorist’s house was evacuated and sealed, in accordance with the decision of the political level.”
The news also came after a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and wounded by armed civilians and taken into custody after he allegedly opened fire on civilians in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Saturday.
Francis also called for prayers for Ukraine as he said Ukrainians are “so mistreated” amid the war with Russia.