A Christmas of “pain and mourning” is coming for Israelis and Palestinians as the war in the Gaza Strip continues to rage, Pope Francis said today, appealing for prayers and “helping hands” for the devastated Palestinian enclave.

“For the inhabitants of the Holy Land, a Christmas of pain and mourning is approaching. We don’t want to leave them alone. Let us stand by their side, with prayers and tangible help.” wrote the head of the Roman Catholic Church in a post on the X platform (formerly Twitter).

Israel has launched a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip, aiming to root out Hamas militants responsible for the massacre of some 1,200 people and the kidnapping of nearly 240 hostages in the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israeli soil. Much of the Gaza Strip has been flattened by the relentless pounding of the Israeli armed forces, which has claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Hamas hostages.

On Sunday, the pontiff criticized Israel for resorting to “terrorist” tactics in the Palestinian enclave, condemning the deaths by Israeli fire of two women who had taken refuge in the compound that houses the only Catholic church in Gaza City.