Vatican, December 22, 2024 – The Europe Today: Pope Francis has reiterated his strong condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, describing them as acts of “cruelty” for the second consecutive day. His remarks follow accusations by Israel of the Vatican applying “double standards” in addressing the ongoing conflict.
Addressing the faithful after his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday, the 88-year-old pontiff expressed deep sorrow over the humanitarian toll in Gaza. “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,” Pope Francis declared, calling for an end to the suffering.
His comments came a day after he lamented the loss of seven children from a single family in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, as reported by Gaza’s rescue agency. Speaking to members of the Holy See government on Saturday, the pope said, “Yesterday, children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war.”
Israel responded sharply to the pope’s remarks. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman described them as “particularly disappointing” and accused the pontiff of disregarding the “true and factual context” of Israel’s war.
The pope’s statements come amid intensifying violence in Gaza, where reports of civilian casualties, including children, have drawn international concern. His repeated condemnation underscores the Vatican’s call for peace and the protection of innocent lives in conflict zones.
This latest exchange highlights the deepening global divisions over the crisis, with the Vatican taking a strong moral stance while Israel defends its actions as necessary for its security.
