Pope Francis strongly condemned the bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty” during a Saturday address, following reports of an Israeli airstrike killing seven children from one family in northern Gaza. The territory’s civil defence rescue agency stated that 10 members of the family, including the children, were killed in the strike on Friday.
Yesterday they did not let the Patriarch (of Jerusalem) enter Gaza as was promised. Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” said the Pope addressing the Holy See government. He continued saying, “I want to say it because it touches my heart”.
Thus, the violence raging in the Gaza Strip during the last 14 months has been a key hallmark of the Israel-Hamas war. International mediators are still calling for a truce between Israel and Hamas militants.
According to AFP, the Israeli military mentioned that it had targeted several terrorists who were operating within a military structure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization and posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area, AFP reported. However, they said that “the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not align with the information held by the IDF.
Pope Francis, who has called for peace since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has now sharpened his attacks against the Israeli military campaign. Late last month, he called “the arrogance of the invader” to prevail over dialogue in “Palestine,” a rare and pointed remark deviating from the Holy See’s traditional neutrality.
In excerpts from a forthcoming book published in November, the Pope urged “careful” consideration for whether the situation in Gaza meets the “technical definition of genocide,” a charge stoutly denied by Israel.
The Holy See has officially recognized the State of Palestine since 2013 and maintains diplomatic ties while advocating for a two-state solution.
