Religious and political leaders in the UK are highlighting the conflict in the Middle East in their Easter messages, calling for “peace, justice and freedom” in the region.

The archbishop of Canterbury will deliver her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday as the Church of England’s top bishop. Dame Sarah Mullally will call “with renewed urgency” for peace in the Middle East and pray for “an end to the violence and destruction” in the region.

The archbishop’s plea comes as the war, launched by the US and Israel on Iran at the end of February, enters its sixth week. The conflict has so far killed thousands and, beyond the region, has resulted in soaring fuel prices amid an effective blockade of the strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

Mullally is expected to pray that “all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for” and will tell the cathedral’s congregation: “This week, our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead. Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf.

“May our Christian sisters and brothers know and celebrate the hope of the empty tomb – and may all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for.”

Mullally is also expected to pray for people dealing with personal struggles, from unemployment to bereavement, telling them: “God walks with you through that darkness.”

She will say: “Perhaps you are here today standing in your own version of the dark, perhaps with your own heart shattered … If you have been knocked off course by illness, bereavement, unemployment or any other human crisis – I pray you know that God walks with you through that darkness.”

Mullally, a former chief nurse in England, will give special mention to those caring for others in society. She will say: “Last night, in hospitals around the country, nurses tended to those who struggled to sleep. In hospices, carers and loved ones will have held someone’s hand, letting them know they are not alone. Parents will have cradled their babies to sleep. This vigil of care is the work of remaining – of staying present in the quiet and the dark.”

Mullally is the C of E’s first female archbishop of Canterbury and was enthroned at a ceremony attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales last month.

Keir Starmer also mentions the ongoing conflict in the Middle East in his Easter message, which he said was causing “real anxiety” for people.

The prime minister called Easter “a celebration of hope, new life and renewal” and paid tribute to the churches and Christian communities across the country who “quietly and tirelessly support families, children and neighbours – offering comfort, bringing people together, and standing alongside those who need it most”.

He said: “Churches have been rooted in their neighbourhoods, working to combat poverty, fear and isolation. In times when some seek to divide, the government is committed to working across faiths and differences to build a country that is more resilient, inclusive and connected.”

Starmer said Easter this year came at a “time of real anxiety for many people” because “conflicts abroad, pressures at home, and uncertainty about the future weigh heavily on families and households”. He ended the message with a call for unity: “Our country is at its best when we choose community over division, kindness over indifference, and service over self‑interest.”