Pope to meet relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians suffering in Gaza

Next Wednesday, Pope Francis will meet separately with several relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and with family members of Palestinians suffering from the Israel-Hamas war.

By Vatican News

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced on Friday that Pope Francis will hold a pair of separate encounters on Wednesday, 22 November, on the sidelines of the General Audience.

Responding to journalists' questions, Mr. Bruni said: "Pope Francis will meet separately with a group of relatives of Israelis held hostage in Gaza and a group of family members of Palestinians suffering from the conflict in Gaza."

He added that the meetings are "of an exclusively humanitarian nature" and aim to express Pope Francis' "spiritual closeness to the suffering of each individual".

"As he stated at the end of last Sunday's Angelus, 'Every human being, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, of any people and religion, every human being is sacred, precious in the eyes of God, and has the right to live in peace," said Mr. Bruni.