Pope to Meet Relatives of Israeli Hostages

The Vatican on Friday confirmed a report by Reuters that Pope Francis will meet separately next week with relatives of hostages held by Hamas militants and with a delegation of Palestinians with family members in Gaza.

"With these meetings, which are of an exclusively humanitarian character, Pope Francis wants to show his spiritual closeness to the sufferings of both," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.

The meetings will be held on Wednesday in the Vatican.

Earlier, one source said 12 relatives of Israeli hostages would meet the pope early on Wednesday morning before his weekly general audience.

That source said they would be a mix of relatives who met with Italian leaders last month as well as others who were not among the first group.

The two sources who spoke about the meeting with the Palestinians said they did not yet know when on Wednesday it would take place. "They are still working on it," one said.

One of the sources who spoke about the Palestinian meeting said the pope wanted to hold the meetings as a "humanitarian gesture to hear the grievances on both sides."

The Vatican's number two, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said earlier on Friday the Holy See believed the release of the hostages and a ceasefire — which Israel has so far ruled out — were two "fundamental points" to resolve the crisis.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Rome, Parolin said the Vatican was working on a meeting between the pope and relatives of the hostages but gave no time frame.

"We are working on it and hope to realize it as soon as possible," he said. He did not mention the Palestinian meeting.

"The release of the hostages is one of the fundamental points for the solution of the current situation, taking into consideration the humanitarian aspects of those who are being held - men, women, children, newborns, pregnant women," said Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State.

About 240 hostages were taken by Hamas gunmen when they stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Francis has made numerous appeals for their release and for a ceasefire.

"The other [fundamental point] is a ceasefire, taking into consideration the humanitarian aspects that come with it — the arrival of aid, curing the injured and other aspects," Parolin said.

U.N. aid deliveries to Gaza were suspended again on Friday due to shortages of fuel and a communications shutdown, deepening the misery of thousands of hungry and homeless Palestinians as Israeli troops battled Hamas militants in the enclave.