Pope Francis called on Sunday for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas", and renewed his call for the release of people held by the movement in Gaza.

"No one should give up the possibility of stopping weapons," he said at the weekly Mass in St. Peter's Square.

He added, "Ceasefire... We say 'ceasefire, ceasefire'. Brothers and sisters, stop! War is always a defeat, always."