(NewsNation) — The Catholic Church’s highest-ranking member in the Middle East offered to be exchanged for the children taken hostage by Hamas.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, told journalists he is willing to do “anything” in response to a question during an Oct. 16 video conference.
“I am ready for an exchange, anything, if this can lead to freedom, to bring the children home. No problem. There is total willingness on my part,” he said.
The militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing an estimated 1,300 people and taking about 200 people hostage, a dozen of whom are believed to be children.
Pizzaballa is Pope Francis’ representative in the Holy Land and oversees Roman Catholic activities in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus.
Authorities in Gaza say at least 2,750 people have been killed so far by the Israeli strikes, a quarter of them children, and nearly 10,000 wounded. Another 1,000 people are missing and believed to be under rubble.