Pope Francis: 'I stand with Rachel Goldberg-Polin during this time'

Pope Francis called for the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and a cessation of hatred in a speech on Sunday.

"I pray for the victims and continue to be close to all the families of the hostages," he stated. 

Mentioning Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was killed in Hamas captivity shortly before being rescued earlier in September, Pope Francis says he thinks of him and his mother, Rachel, whom he met in November 2023.

"Rachel's humanity struck me," he said.

"I think of the mothers who have lost sons to war, how many young lives have been cut short."

"I stand with Rachel during this time."

He called for the end of the conflict in Palestine and Israel to cease, the end of violence, and the end of hatred and asked for negotiations to secure a hostage-ceasefire deal to continue. 

Comments on Palestinian casualties 

On Friday, Pope Francis decried the deaths of Palestinian children in Israeli military strikes in Gaza, calling bombings of schools, on the "presumption" of striking Hamas terrorists, "ugly."

On the flight back to Rome from Singapore, the pontiff also expressed doubt that either Israel or Hamas, now at war for eleven months, were seeking to end the conflict. "I am sorry to have to say this," the pope said. "But I do not think that they are taking steps to make peace."

Reuters contributed to this report.