His Holiness Pope Francis: Respect UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) on the Lebanese-Israeli border 

After the [Israeli] army fires at UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, the His Holiness Pope Francis calls for the troops to be respected.

By Joseph Tulloch

Following a series of recent incidents in which at least four UN peacekeepers were wounded after coming under fire from the [Israeli] army, Pope Francis has appealed for the troops to be "respected."

The appeal came as the Pope once again called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, urging the parties to "pursue the paths of diplomacy and dialogue to achieve peace".

Pope Francis has been calling for a stop to hostilities in the region since October 2023, longer than almost any other world leader.

“War is an illusion,” the Pope continued, “It will never bring peace, it will never bring security. It is a defeat for everyone, especially for those who believe themselves invincible.”

“I pray for all the victims,” he added, “for the displaced, for the hostages - who I hope will be released immediately – and I pray that this great needless suffering, generated by hatred and revenge, will soon come to an end.”…

This report was originally published on the website of Vatican News. Please click here to read the full text.