Pope John Paul has today urged
Palestinians and Israelis to free themselves from the "thirst for vendetta" and return to the negotiating table.
The Pope led Catholics around the world in prayers for peace in the Middle East as details emerged of a proposal by Vatican diplomats in the Holy Land to end a standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
"When all around us the cruel logic of weapons dominates, only God can lead hearts to thoughts of peace," the 81-year-old Pope told pilgrims and tourists in St Peter's Square.
Thousands of people marched to the square after attending masses in Rome churches where they took up the ageing and frail Pontiff's call to make today a day of prayer for peace in the Holy Land in churches around the world.
"Only He can provide the energy that is so necessary to free oneself from hate and the thirst for vendetta," the Pope said in a trembling voice from his window overlooking the square.
He urged Israelis and Palestinians "to take up the path that leads to negotiations aimed at an agreement and peace."
The Pope said he felt close to those who are "living through difficult hours" in the Church of the Nativity in Christ's birthplace of Bethlehem.
Around 200 Palestinian gunmen and civilians took refuge in the Bethlehem church on Tuesday and have remained holed up inside along with 40 Franciscan monks and four nuns. Israeli troops ring the complex, one of the holiest sites in Christendom.