Pope Francis on Wednesday deplored the "desperate" situation in Gaza as he urged the faithful to take "only one side" in the Israel-Hamas war, "the side of peace."
Speaking during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square, Francis did not explicitly mention the Gaza hospital strike for which Israelis and Palestinians are blaming each other.
He pleaded for all possible efforts "to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe," and said he would lead special prayers for peace in St Peter's Basilica on Oct. 27.