Pope Francis has denounced the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza while appealing for the release of captives and a ceasefire in the war-torn coastal enclave. In his Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and world) address on Wednesday at the Vatican,

Pope Francis appealed for a cease-fire in Gaza, as he called for a global cessation of violence and peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan,

Some say that the community is in danger of losing its 1,600-year foothold in the enclave and that it is far from certain those who have fled will ever feel safe enough to return home.