Pope Francis’ top representative in the Middle East said on Monday he would be willing to trade places with Israeli children held hostage by Hamas terrorists.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 58, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, proposed the exchange in response to questions during a video conference with reporters in Italy.
“I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is complete readiness on my part,” he said.
“The first thing to do is to try to win the release of the hostages, otherwise there is no way to stop [an escalation]. We are ready to help, even me personally,” continued the monsignor.
Pizzaballa stated, however, that he and his office have not yet had any direct communication with Hamas since the horrific Israeli attack on October 7 that killed at least 1,300 people.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, right, said he was willing to trade places with Israeli children held hostage by Hamas.REUTERS
A video released on Friday showed Hamas terrorists holding several young Israelis believed to be hostages.
“You cannot talk to Hamas. It is very difficult,” he said.
At least 199 people were taken hostage, including many children.
On Friday, Hamas released disturbing footage showing gunmen abducting kidnapped Israeli babies and children.
Pizzaballa oversees Roman Catholic activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as Jordan and Cyprus, a region home to about 300,000 Roman Catholics.
The cardinal said that about 1,000 Christians took refuge in a Church building in northern Gaza after their homes were destroyed in Israeli counter-attacks.
“They don’t know where to go because moving is dangerous,” he said.
Diplomatic efforts have stepped up to get humanitarian aid to Gaza – a narrow enclave home to about 2 million people – as Israel prepares a ground offensive to destroy Hamas.
Health officials in Gaza say at least 2,750 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. Another 1,000 people are missing, many believed to be under the rubble.
Israel has urged Gazans to move south. Hamas, which runs Gaza, has told residents of the area to ignore Israel’s message.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
