Pope Francis, recovering from bronchitis, calls for end of Gaza conflict

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis.

On Saturday the 87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide, and on Wednesday he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed reading at his weekly audience, saying he had "a bit of cold".

"Each day I carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the populations in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities, thousands of dead, injured, displaced," Francis said, speaking by himself with a clear voice at the Angelus payer in Rome.

Addressing believers in St Peter's Square, Francis stressed the consequences of the conflict on children and asked for the release of all the hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid.

"Do you really think you can build a better world in this way? Do you really think you will achieve peace? Enough please! Let us all say enough please! Stop!" Francis said

Francis has had a number of health issues in recent months.

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