Christians are praying that the fragile peace between Israel and Gaza will be a lasting one.
There were scenes of celebration in Gaza last night after a ceasefire
brokered by Egypt brought an end to eight days of fighting that killed
162 Palestinians and five Israelis.
Pope Benedict XVI called upon both sides to "make courageous decisions in favour of peace".
He noted that any dispute between Israel and Gaza would have negative repurcussions throughout the entire Middle East.
"Along with my prayers for the victims and for those who suffer, it
is my duty to emphasise once again that hatred and violence are not the
solutions to these problems," he said.
The World Evangelical Alliance made an "urgent" appeal to its members to pray for the region.
The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Reverend
Olav Fykse Tveit, said that the loss of people's lives "in the eyes of
God cannot be accepted as a price to be paid for the unresolved
political problems and political agendas".
He called for an end to the Israeli blockade on Gaza, but added that
the continued rocket attacks by Gaza on Israeli civilians were
"reprehensible" and would also have "very negative effects" at a time
when Palestinians are seeking international support for their own state.