Pope Francis condemns hospital attacks, calls for end to conflicts

Pope Francis expressed "pain and outrage" over reports of attacks on medical facilities, including in Kyiv, the Vatican announced in a Tuesday statement. The head of the Church did not directly mention Russia.

In a note sent to journalists, the Vatican said: "The Holy Father received with great pain the news of attacks on two medical centres in Kyiv, including the largest pediatric hospital in Ukraine, as well as on a school in Gaza."

"The Pope expresses his deep outrage over the escalation of violence. Expressing closeness with the innocent victims and the wounded, he hopes and prays that concrete paths will be quickly set to end the ongoing conflicts," the Holy See's statement reads.

On Monday in Kyiv, a missile hit a children's hospital, the largest clinic in the country - Ochmatdyt. Two people died – a doctor and a visitor. Another 30 people were injured, including 10 children.

In the capital of Ukraine, another medical facility was damaged – a health centre in the Dnipro district. Seven people died there, including three children, and 18 were injured.

Caritas in Jerusalem and the local Latin Patriarchate, cited by the Italian newspaper "Avvenire," reported an attack on the Holy Family Catholic School in Gaza. The exact toll of victims is not known.