Pope Francis Reiterates Request for Ceasefire, Calls On Hamas to Release Hostages

Pope Francis repeated his call for a ceasefire in Gaza and called on Hamas to release hostages, invoking God, in a series of tweets addressing the conflict on Sunday.

"In God’s name, I beg you to stop: cease using weapons," Francis said. "I hope that avenues will be pursued so that an escalation of the conflict might be absolutely avoided."

Francis' statements come almost one month after the militant group Hamas killed thousands of Israeli civilians in a surprise attack Oct. 7. Since the attack, Israel has targeted the Gaza Strip with a barrage of airstrikes and ground incursions, killing thousands, as it looks to eliminate Hamas and seeks hostages held by the militant group.