Pope Francis condemns Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Date
12/21/2024 1:24:10 PM
(MENAFN) Pope Francis on Saturday strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, expressing deep sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day.
"Yesterday, children were bombed. This is not war. This is cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart," he told members of the Roman Curia, the Vatican's administrative body.
He also criticized the airstrikes for preventing Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering Gaza.
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel's military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 45,000 deaths, the majority of whom are women and children. The airstrikes have left much of the territory in ruins.
On November 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Gaza. Israel is also facing a case at the International Court of Justice for genocide in Gaza.
The pope has further called for an investigation into whether Israel’s actions in Gaza could be classified as genocide, according to excerpts from an upcoming book.
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