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Pope Francis on Monday criticized what he called The international community’s “disgraceful failure” to end the war in the Middle Easta year after Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel.

“A year ago, a fuse of hatred was ignited that did not ignite, but rather exploded into a spiral of violence,” he said in an open letter to Catholics in the region.

“Few people seem to care about what is most needed and what is most desirable: dialogue and peace,” he wrote. “Violence never brings peace. History proves this, but the years of conflict seem to have taught us nothing.”

Francis, who has also made Monday a day of fasting and prayer for peace for Catholics around the world, has spoken more openly in recent weeks about the conflict between Hamas and Israel and has become more vocal in his criticism of Israel’s military campaign.

September 29, 87-year-old pontiff criticized Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon The airstrikes killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as well as civilians, suggesting the airstrikes went “beyond morality.”

At the beginning of September Francisco He called Israel’s actions “unacceptable.” in Lebanon and called on the international community to do everything possible to stop the fighting.

In his letter on Monday, Francis addressed the people of Gaza directly: “I am with you, residents of Gaza,“They have been in a desperate situation for a long time.”

They are in my thoughts and prayers every day.

“I am with you who were forced to leave their homes, quit their studies and work, and look for a place where you can hide from bombing (…) “I am with you who are afraid to look up for fear of the fire falling from the sky,” he said.

Authorities in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip condemned this Monday that the military offensive launched by Israel a year ago It has already killed more than 41,900 people, with women and children making up “more than 60 percent of the dead.” and more than 97,300 were injured.

The Gaza Ministry of Health, in a statement on Telegram, indicated that the Israeli offensive left 41,909 “martyrs” and 97,303 injured, while condemning “genocidal war” against Gaza, “one of the most brutal chapters of Palestinian crime and bloodshed.”

Gaza authorities said on Sunday that the Israeli attacks These events resulted in the deaths of approximately 17,000 children, including 171 infants and 710 children under one year of age.and they estimate that around 10,000 are missing, so there are fears that the death toll is much higher.

You might be interested > Gaza reports more than 41,900 dead and 97,300 wounded on first anniversary of war with Israel

In addition, he stated that more than 900 families had lost all their members, leading to “their removal from the civil register”, and estimated the number of deaths from famine in the enclave this year at 36, including 175 journalists and 85 also Members of civil defense teams have died as a result of Israeli attacks.

(according to information from Reuters And Europe Press)