ATHENS

Pope Francis on Sunday called on Israel and Palestine to resume dialogue to open “paths of reconciliation and peace.”

“With sorrow, I learned again that blood has been poured out in the Holy Land. I hope that the Israeli and Palestinian leaders can resume direct dialogue to bring an end to the spiral of violence and open paths of reconciliation and peace,” he said during his Sunday address to the crowd gathered in Vatican’s St. Peter's Square, according to Vatican News agency.

On Monday, Israeli forces launched their largest raid in Jenin in more than 20 years, including on its refugee camp, killing 12 Palestinians including five children, according to a statement by the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Francis, furthermore, offered his gratitude to NGOs that work to save migrant lives in the Mediterranean.