Pope voices hope for cease-fire between Israel, Palestinians

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) — Pope Francis expressed hope on Sunday that a cease-fire reached between Israel and the Palestinians will hold, ending the latest escalation of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

In a speech at the Regina Coeli service, Pope Francis mourned the loss of life in the "armed exchanges between Israelis and Palestinians, in which innocent people have lost their lives, including women and children," Vatican News reported.

"May weapons be silenced, because arms can never obtain security and stability. Rather, they only succeed in destroying any hope for peace," he said.

Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza on Saturday agreed to an Egyptian-mediated cease-fire set to go into effect at 10 p.m. (1900GMT) local time.

Egyptian media quoted Egyptian sources as confirming both sides' commitment to the cease-fire proposal.

At least 33 Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Israeli army said its airstrikes as of Tuesday were part of its Operation Shield and Arrow in response to rocket fire from Gaza following the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison on May 2. Palestinian factions in Gaza retaliated by firing barrages of rockets into Israeli territories.