Pope Francis has once again spoken against the violence in Gaza, describing Israel’s airstrikes as acts of “cruelty.”
He made the comments on Sunday during his Angelus prayer at the Vatican, doubling down on remarks he had made the previous day.
“And with pain, I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of schools and hospitals. What cruelty,” the 88-year-old pontiff said, reflecting on the toll of the conflict.
On Saturday, the Pope had lamented an airstrike by Israel that reportedly killed seven children from the same family in Gaza. “Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” he said during a meeting with members of the Holy See government.
The Pope’s comments highlighted the suffering of civilians, especially children, in the ongoing conflict.
Israel responded strongly to the Pope’s remarks, accusing him of double standards.
An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman stated, “It is particularly disappointing as they are disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism — a multi-front war that was forced upon it starting on October 7.”
The spokesman also said, “Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and children, by terrorists and abusing them.”
The ongoing war began after Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people in Israel, most of them civilians, with some hostages killed in captivity.
In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, which has so far resulted in at least 45,259 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The majority of the casualties are civilians, as confirmed by the United Nations.
Despite criticism, Pope Francis continues to call for compassion and an end to the violence. His repeated statements emphasize the need to protect innocent lives and provide humanitarian assistance in times of conflict.
