VATICAN CITY, April 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XVI had telephone  conversations Friday ahead with the presidents of Israel and Ukraine in which  he wished for peace amid ongoing wars, the Vatican said. The American-born pope spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and,  separately, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the  humanitarian situation in each war zone was discussed, the Vatican said in  individual statements. The pope and Herzog "reaffirmed the need to reopen all possible channels of  diplomatic dialogue to bring an end to the serious ongoing conflict, with a  view to achieving a just and lasting peace throughout the Middle East," a  statement said. "The conversation also focused on the importance of protecting the civilian  population and promoting respect for international and humanitarian law," it  added. The calls happened as the pontiff was observing the Catholic Holy Week  leading up to Easter on Sunday, and while Herzog was marking Jewish Passover  into next week, and as Zelensky, a Jew, was preparing to see Ukraine  celebrate Orthodox Easter, which this year falls on April 12. With Zelensky, Leo expressed his "best wishes for the Easter holidays" and  both leaders discussed the "urgency of providing the necessary aid to the  population suffering from the conflict." "Reference was also made to efforts aimed at promoting humanitarian  initiatives, especially regarding the release of prisoners. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, the Vatican has sought to  play a mediating role behind the scenes, in particular trying to bring about  prisoner exchanges through its diplomatic channels. Leo and Zelensky evoked hopes that "with the commitment and cooperation of  the international community, hostilities may cease as soon as possible and a  just and lasting peace may be achieved," read a statement. In February, Leo said that peace in Ukraine, where the war has dragged on for  more than four years, was "an urgent necessity". Regarding the war in the Middle East, this week Leo called on world leaders  to "come back to the table to dialogue", saying he hoped that US President  Donald Trump was "looking for an off-ramp".