Netanyahu held a call with Pope Leo XIV, where he expressed optimism about the hostage talks, while the Pope asked to keep sacred places safe from the war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Pope Leo XIV in a Friday phone call that Israel is in advanced stages of negotiations for the release of hostages,

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo spoke by phone today to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas, about the conflict in Gaza and violence in the West Bank, the Vatican said. It was the first official conversation between the two men since Leo’s papacy began.