Pope Pledges to Release Israeli Captives Held by Hamas

Pope Francis met in Rome on Wednesday with the families of Israelis being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The meeting was held at the initiative of the Israeli Embassy in Rome. Pope Francis vowed before the Israeli delegation to work toward bringing home two Israeli civilians and two soldiers. The meeting lasted 45 minutes and was attended by the Israeli ambassador to the Vatican, Raphael Schutz, the head of the Diaspora and Religious Affairs section at the Foreign Ministry, Shuli Davidovich, and the Israeli ambassador to Rome, Alon Bar.