"Pope Francis Urges Release of Hostages in Gaza, Calls for Peace in Holy Land"

Pope Francis called for the release of all hostages taken by Hamas militants and stated that Israel has the right to defend itself. He expressed concern over the total siege in Gaza and the innocent victims. The pope's comments followed diplomatic pressure from Israel for him to acknowledge Israel's right to self-defense. He emphasized that terrorism and extremism do not help resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and called for peace built on justice and dialogue.