Pope Francis met with relatives of hostages kidnapped and transported to the Gaza Strip six months prior, during which time Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist organization, led an attack on Israel that set off the Gaza War.

Photos of five families attending a private audience in the Apostolic Palace were released by the Vatican on Monday. The families are holding posters and pictures of their abducted relatives.

One attendee, according to The Times of Israel, said that the pope had called Hamas “evil” and “was very clear that the hostages need to come home.”

The pope made a strong call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Easter Sunday at the end of March.In addition, he demanded a guaranteed path for the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, where a large portion of the land is in ruins and famine fears are intensifying. He also demanded the release of the hostages who were abducted from Israel on October 7 by Hamas fighters and other radicals in Gaza.

About 1,200 people were killed and over 200 were taken hostage by the attackers on October 7. As a result of an agreement between Israel and Hamas, 105 of those who had been kidnapped were released after nearly two months. The public is unaware of the whereabouts of the remaining hostages. Israeli estimates suggest that fewer than 100 of them are likely still alive.

Israel responded by attacking from the air, and then it launched a massive ground offensive that moved from north to south. Over 33,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas.

The high death toll among civilian Palestinians and the dearth of food supplies in the region have drawn harsh international criticism for Israel.

Pope Francis first met the families of Israeli and Palestinian hostages in the Gaza Strip in November. At the Vatican, the leader of the Catholic Church met with the two groups individually.