Working on meeting of pope with hostages' relatives -Parolin

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 27 - The Vatican is working on arranging a meeting between Pope Francis and the families of hostages taken by Hamas, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on Friday.
    "We are considering this, we have seen that they are here and have been received at the Italian level," said Parolin on the sidelines of an event at Rome city hall.
    "We have not yet taken a decision, I think it will be taken by the end of today," he added.
    On Wednesday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella received a delegation of relatives of Hamas victims and of people taken hostage by the Islamist militant group during the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel at the Quirinale palace in Rome.
    Parolin also said he hoped there would not be an escalation in the Israel-Hamas war, adding that this is "very much linked to the release of the hostages".
    "If we manage to resolve the issue of hostage release a ground invasion would be less urgent," he added.
    On Friday Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the number of people now believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza has been revised upwards to 229.
    On Thursday he said the number stood at 224. (ANSA).