Pope Francis renews call for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine

Pope Francis renewed his call for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine on Sunday.

"I renew my appeal not to give in to the logic of claiming war," Francis told a gathered audience in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.

"I pray every day for peace in Palestine and Israel and I hope that these two peoples can soon stop suffering and let us not forget the martyred Ukraine that suffers so much because of the war," he added.

Regional tensions have increased since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when Hamas and Islamic Jihad — two militant groups backed by Iran — carried out a cross-border attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 others.

Israel responded with an offensive in Gaza that has caused widespread devastation and killed more than 33,900 people, according to local health officials.