Israel announced that the Vatican actively worked to secure the release of hostages taken by the Hamas group, SIR (Servizio Informazione Religiosa) reported.
“The agreement that returned all the hostages and ended the war would not have been possible without the pressure that Israel exerted on “Hamas“, and without the leadership and commitment of President Donald Trump. It was also made possible thanks to the powerful prayers and gestures of unity from Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. Both consistently called for the release of the hostages and worked actively for it,” said Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Seidman.
“[The late] Pope Francis gave a name and a face to all the hostages and helped preserve their memory and the collective commitment to their release. With their continued support for the release of the hostages, Pope Francis and Leo helped pave the way for their release,“ the Israeli diplomatic representative said.
“Now that the war is over, we must focus on peace and reconciliation with our neighbors, with ourselves, and within Israeli society. On October 7, Israel suffered a collective trauma that continues to live on,” the ambassador said.
Saidman explained that while this is “a time for optimism and hope,” it is not yet time to celebrate because we have not yet reached the finish line.
He stressed the need to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel. And no less important is to offer a ray of hope and the possibility of a better future to the people of Gaza themselves, once they are freed from the yoke of the tyrannical “Hamas” regime, the diplomat said.