Pope Urges Release of All Hamas Hostages, Concerned by Gaza Siege

Pope Francis meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais du Pharo, in Marseille, France, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via AP, Pool)
Pope Francis meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais du Pharo, in Marseille, France, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via AP, Pool)
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Pope Urges Release of All Hamas Hostages, Concerned by Gaza Siege

Pope Francis meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais du Pharo, in Marseille, France, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via AP, Pool)
Pope Francis meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais du Pharo, in Marseille, France, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via AP, Pool)

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on the Hamas group to release all hostages captured during its weekend attack on Israel, while expressing grave concerns about the "total" Israeli siege imposed on Gaza.
"I pray for those families who saw a feast day turn into a day of mourning, and I ask that the hostages be immediately released," he said during his weekly audience.
Referring to Israel's response to Hamas, Francis said: "It is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves, but I am very worried by the total siege in which Palestinians in Gaza live, where there have also been many innocent victims”, Reuters reported.



Israeli Strikes Kill 47 People in Eastern Lebanon

Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
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Israeli Strikes Kill 47 People in Eastern Lebanon

Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)
Rescuers evacuate bodies of victims from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Nidal SOLH / AFP)

Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people in eastern Lebanon on Thursday, a Lebanese official said.

Bachir Khodr, governor of Lebanon's Baalbek-Hermel province, said at least 47 were killed and 22 wounded in Israeli strikes in the Baalbek region.

Posting on X, he said rescue operations were underway.

Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,583 people and wounded 15,244 in Lebanon since October 2023, with 25 fatalities reported on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said on Thursday.