Pope Francis slammed the “shameful inability” of world powers to end the conflict in the Middle East, on the first anniversary of Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel, AFP reports.

“A year ago, the fuse of hatred was lit; it did not sputter, but exploded in a spiral of violence, in the shameful inability of the international community and the most powerful countries to silence the weapons and put an end to the tragedy of war,” he said in an open letter to Catholics in the Middle East.