Pope Francis calls for “arms to be silenced” around the world, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan in his Christmas address as he denounces the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza.

He used his traditional message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Wednesday to call for talks for a just peace in Ukraine as the country was pummelled by 170 Russian missiles and drones in a Christmas morning barrage that Kyiv described as “inhumane”.

His voice breathless, the 88-year-old pontiff also appealed for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the freeing of Israeli hostages held there by Hamas.

In Sednaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to witness the lighting of a towering tree adorned with glowing green lights.

The celebration offered a rare moment of joy in a city scarred by more than a decade of war and its infamous prison, where tens of thousands of people were held and tortured. Families and friends stood by the illuminated tree – some wearing Santa hats, others watching from rooftops – while a band played festive music and fireworks lit up the sky.

Meanwhile, a snowstorm in the Balkans stranded drivers and downed power lines on Tuesday, but some saw the beauty in it.

“I’m actually glad it’s falling,” driver Mirsad Jasarevic said in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We did not have snow for Christmas for 17 years here, and now is the time for a wonderful, white Christmas.”