In his annual address to diplomats on Monday, the Vatican Pope, focusing on the conflict in the Middle East, called for a "ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon."

Pope Francis also condemned, in the speech sometimes referred to as the "State of the World," the attack by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel on October 7th as a "heinous" act of "terrorism and extremism."

Pope Francis once again urged for the "immediate release" of the hostages held in Gaza.