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".