Pope Francis at the birthplace of Christ Sunday May 25,2014

Pope Francis disembarks his helicopter upon his arrival at Ben Gurion airport near the Mediterranean Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv,Israel

Pope Francis is greeted by Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcoming ceremony at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel

 Israeli President Shimon Peres greets Pope Francis during a welcome ceremony upon his arrival at Ben Gurion airport near the Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv

 Pope Francis disembarks a Jordanian military helicopter as he arrives in the West Bank town of Bethlehem

Jubilant Palestinians cheered Pope Francis as he arrived in Bethlehem's Manger Square, shouting 'Viva al-Baba!' or 'Long live the Pope!' Giant Palestinian flags in red, white, green and black and the Vatican's yellow-and-white flags decorated the square.

Pope Francis greets people after a mass in Bethlehem

President Mahmoud Abbas participates in the Mass held by the Pope Francis in Bethlehem, West Bank

At the end of Mass in the square, Pope Francis invited Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres to pray with him for peace, saying: 'I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer.'

The offices of the Israeli and Palestinian presidents quickly confirmed that they had accepted the invitation, with the Palestinians saying the meeting would take place in June 2014.

The invitation - and the acceptances - were unexpected given Pope Francis's insistence that his three-day visit was 'strictly religious' pilgrimage to commemorate a Catholic-Orthodox anniversary. 

Pope Francis visiting the Nativity church in the West Bank town of Bethlehem