Troops of the Israeli army opened fire at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, injuring the soldiers. After the incidents, Pope Francis appealed for respect to the UN peacekeeper troops and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East. He urged the ways of diplomacy and dialogue between the participants. He also expressed his belief that war is always a defeat and will never bring peace, as well as his support for all the victims of war.

“I pray for all the victims, for the displaced, for the hostages – who I hope will be released immediately – and I pray that this great needless suffering, generated by hatred and revenge, will soon come to an end.”

The Pope also discussed other ongoing conflicts. He talked about the Russian-Ukrainian war and called for the stop of the killing of innocent civilians and raised concerns about the impact of the upcoming winter on Ukrainian civilians. Pope Francis also asked the people to pray for Haiti, where the long-running gang violence already claimed numerous lives of innocents. At the end, he called for the intercession of Our Lady for all the people suffering from war and violence all around the world.

Source: Vatican News