From the St. Peter´s Square´s window, Pope Francis addressed the faithful gathered at 12:00, local time, to whom he said: “With sorrow, I learned again that blood has been poured out in the Holy Land. I hope that the Israeli and Palestinian leaders can resume direct dialogue to bring an end to the spiral of violence and open paths of reconciliation and peace.”

About 1,000 soldiers and 150 Israeli armored vehicles began past Monday the largest military operation in the West Bank with the argument of destroying “a nest of terrorists”, as the Palestinian forces are called.

During this military offensive, at least 12 Palestinians were killed, five of them minors, and over 140 were injured.

On July 8, Kamal Abu Al-Rub, deputy governor of the Palestinian city of Jenin, in the northern West Bank, condemned that the Israeli army’s offensive against Jenin refugee camp also damaged 80% of local houses and ravaged water, power and telephone services.

On February 26, after praying the Angelus, Pope Francis asked the faithful how to stop this spiral of violence and added that “I renew my appeal for talks to prevail over hatred and revenge” “so that they may find the path of fraternity and peace”.

Previously, on January 29, Pope Francis warned that “the spiral of death only closes the few chinks of trust that exist between the two peoples”.

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