Live from NPR news in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. The Vatican says Pope Francis remains in

critical condition after a respiratory crisis earlier today. NPR's Jason DeRose reports the 88-year-old

pontiff was admitted to a hospital in Rome last week to be treated for a complex lung infection.

The Holy See Press Office says Pope Francis experienced a, quote, asthma-like respiratory crisis

of prolonged intensity Saturday morning. The event required the administration of high-flow

oxygen. The Vatican also says blood tests have revealed a condition called thrombocytopenia,

which is associated with anemia. That condition required the 88-year-old Pope to undergo a blood

transfusion. The Vatican press office says Francis remains alert and spent Saturday in an armchair,

although he's more uncomfortable than in recent days. The prognosis, it says,

remains guarded. Francis has served as Pope since March of 2013. Jason DeRose, NPR News.

Hundreds of Israelis gathered in central Tel Aviv to watch a live stream as Hamas released

six more Israeli hostages in Gaza today.

Cheers went up from the crowd as the hostages were met by the International Committee of the

Red Cross and PR's Katlansdorff reports from Tel Aviv. The six hostages included four men

taking the 2003 Hamas attack on southern Israel and two

Israeli citizens who had been held in Gaza for around a decade. In exchange, more than 600

Palestinians are expected to be released from Israeli jails. Four more hostage bodies are set to be

returned next week as phase one of the fragile ceasefire deal comes to an end.

But there will still be dozens of hostages in Gaza. Poles show a majority of Israelis want the

ceasefire to continue, like 57-year-old Uev Brodai.

I hope that it will continue, it will not end. I hope that somehow they will reach an agreement,

because that's what we need to do. Several far-right lawmakers in Israel's government are pushing

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