Pope Francis’ top representative in the Middle East said Monday he was willing to swap places with Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 58, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, proposed the swap in response to a question during a video conference with journalists in Italy.
“I’m willing to trade, anything, if it can lead to freedom, to bringing the children home. No problem. There is complete willingness on my part,” she stated.
“The first thing to do is try to secure the release of the hostages, otherwise there will be no way to stop them. [an escalation]. “We are willing to help, even me personally,” the monsignor continued.
Pizzaballa noted, however, that he and his office had yet to have direct communication with Hamas since the horrific attack on Israel on October 7 that killed at least 1,300 people.
“You can’t talk to Hamas. “It’s very difficult,” he said.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (right) said he was willing to swap places with Israeli children taken hostage by Hamas.REUTERS
At least 199 people were taken hostage, including many children.
On Friday, Hamas released disturbing images showing gunmen cradling kidnapped Israeli babies and toddlers.
The worst attack on Israel in 50 years: how we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip more than three decades after seizing the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: The terrorist group Hamas wins the Palestinian legislative elections.
2007: Hamas takes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches a military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fire rockets at the city of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches largest attack on Israel in 50 years.
More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, more than 3,500 wounded and at least 100 taken hostage, with the death toll expected to rise after Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of militants into Israeli cities. .
Hamas terrorists were seen taking women hostage and parading them down the street in gruesome videos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “We are at war” and promised that Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
Gaza health officials report that at least 2,750 Palestinians have been killed and more than 9,700 injured.
Pizzaballa oversees Catholic activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as in Jordan and Cyprus, a region home to about 300,000 Roman Catholics.
The cardinal said around 1,000 Christians were taking shelter in church buildings in northern Gaza after their homes were destroyed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes.
A video released on Friday showed Hamas terrorists holding some of the young Israelis believed to have been taken hostage.
“They don’t know where to go because moving is dangerous,” he said.
Diplomatic efforts have been intensified to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza – a narrow enclave that is home to some 2 million people – as Israel prepares a ground offensive to destroy Hamas.
Follow The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Health officials in Gaza said at least 2,750 people had been killed by Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 had been wounded. Another 1,000 people were missing and many were believed to be under rubble.
Israel has urged Gaza residents to evacuate south. Hamas, which rules Gaza, has told residents of the area to ignore Israel’s message.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn