Paul KeenanPontiff contacts Israeli-Palestinian presdients
Pope Francis has made personal phone calls to the presidents of Israel and the Palestinian Territories to urge them to work for an immediate end to hostilities.
As the death toll linked with the current conflict in Gaza continues to rise, the Pontiff made contact with President Shimon Peres and then President Mahmoud Abbas on July 18 to express his concern and to assure that he was praying for all victims of the current round of violence in the region.
In a statement, the Vatican confirmed the calls, adding: “As during his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land and on the occasion of the invocation for peace on 8 June, the Holy Father assured them of his ceaseless prayer, and that of all the Church, for peace in the Holy Land. He reminded the presidents, whom he considers to be men of peace and seekers of peace, of the need to continue to pray and endeavour to ensure that all the interested parties and those who hold political office at local and international level work to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote truce, peace and reconciliation in the hearts of those involved.”