After the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Supreme Pontiff acknowledged that “in these last few hours, amid the dramatic situation in the Middle East, significant progress has been made in the peace negotiations, which I hope will soon achieve the desired results,” according to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office.

“I ask all leaders to commit to following this path, to cease fire and release the hostages, while I urge them to remain united in prayer, so that the ongoing efforts may end the war and lead us toward a just and lasting peace,” the Bishop of Rome added.

This new exhortation from the Holy Father to finally reach an agreement to cease Tel Aviv’s attacks against the Palestinian people came just hours after Vatican News published a message from Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on the importance of the upcoming negotiations.

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