ROME, Italy (AFP) — Pope Francis called Wednesday for “arms to be silenced” around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza.

He used his traditional message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine as the country was pummelled by 170 Russian missiles and drones in a Christmas morning barrage Kyiv branded as “inhumane”.

His voice breathless, the 88-year-old pontiff also appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the freeing of Israeli hostages held there by Hamas.

“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” he told thousands of the faithful gathered in front of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome for the “Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world”) address.

“May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war.”

Francis also extended his call for peace to Sudan, which has been ravaged by 20 months of brutal civil war and where millions are under the threat of famine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky railed at Russia’s attempt to take out his country’s battered power grid, with one energy worker killed in the 13th major attack on the system this year.

“Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack,” he said. “What could be more inhumane? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than 100 attack drones.”

Ukraine has been marking Christmas on December 25 for the past two years rather than on January 7, when most Orthodox believers celebrate, as a snub to Moscow.

However, Russia said five people were killed in Ukrainian strikes on its territory overnight, including one by a downed drone in North Ossetia in the Caucasus.