'Stop The War’: Pope Francis Pleads For Negotiation And Peace In Ukraine, Gaza Wars

The pope issued a plea for an end to the wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza during a rare interview with CBS News on Wednesday.

“Please. Countries at war, all of them, stop the war. Look to negotiate. Look for peace,” Pope Francis told “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell during the hourlong interview.

“A negotiated peace is better than a war without end,” the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has destroyed infrastructure and killed civilians . According to the United Nations, the war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and injured nearly 20,000 others. Millions have been displaced, and Russia now occupies 26% of its neighboring country .

After decades of tension between Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Israel, the militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking about 240 people hostage. Israel retaliated with an ongoing offensive that has killed more than 30,000 people and displaced almost the entire population.

According to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) in March, access to food is “catastrophic” and famine is “imminent” in Gaza, where Israel has blocked aid deliveries from entering.

The pope said on Wednesday that he has been calling people in Gaza every day to hear about their “very hard” experiences.

“Food goes in, but they have to fight for it,” he said.

Civilians in Ukraine are also living under precarious conditions, and the pope spoke about how war affects the children in the country. Homes, health care facilities and other infrastructure have been damaged, and more than 1,200 children have been killed or injured in