Pope Francis calls for Gaza ceasefire to be 'immediately respected'

Pope Francis called Sunday for a ceasefire in Gaza to be "immediately respected", as he thanked mediators and urged a boost in humanitarian aid as well as the return of hostages.

"Expressing gratitude to all the mediators," the Argentine pontiff said, as agreed, it will be immediately respected by the parties and that all the hostages will finally be able to go home to hug their loved ones again". A total of 33 hostages taken by militants during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel are scheduled to be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce.