Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington and Havana that dates back to the Cuban missile crisis.

Pope Francis expressed the hope that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19, “would be respected immediately by all the parties [involved]” and would lead to “the release of all the hostages” and the rapid provision of urgently needed humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza.

The Cuban government announced that it would release hundreds of political prisoners, citing inspiration from Pope Francis' emphasis on mercy for prisoners during the Jubilee Year.

The Cuban government’s announcement of the prisoner release dated Jan. 14 cited 'the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025' and noted Pope Francis’ mediation in the negotiations.

The deal, which comes less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, also includes rolling back a 2017 memorandum issued during his first term.

Cuba has released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from jail, as part of a Cuban government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners as part of talks with the Vatican

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) in exchange for the release of political prisoners jailed for protesting

President Joe Biden has notified Congress of his intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.

Cuba on January 15 began releasing prisoners under a deal with outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration to remove the communist island from a list of terror sponsors, but Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio signalled the policy shift would be short-lived.

The Trump administration added Cuba to the state sponsor of terror list days before the Republican left office in 2021 and it has remained there throughout the Biden administration. Just three other countries, Syria, Iran and North Korea, are currently on the State Department list.

Ferrer, the leader of the dissident organization Patriotic Union of Cuba, had previously been in prison because of his political opposition to the communist government.