Pope Francis has intensified his criticism of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. He described them as acts of “cruelty” during his annual Christmas address on Saturday. These remarks followed a sharp rebuke from an Israeli minister. The pope had recently suggested the international community should assess if the military campaign is genocide against Palestinians.
Opening his address to Catholic cardinals at the Vatican, Pope Francis referenced Friday’s airstrikes in Gaza. These strikes reportedly killed at least 25 Palestinians. “Yesterday, children were bombed,” he said. “This is cruelty. This is not war. It touches the heart, and I felt the need to speak.”
The pontiff leads the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church. He has traditionally avoided taking sides in conflicts. However, he has become increasingly vocal about Israel’s military operations targeting Hamas in Gaza. Last month, excerpts from a book revealed that Francis acknowledged international experts. These experts suggested the situation in Gaza bears “the characteristics of genocide.”
Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli criticized the pope’s genocide remarks. He shared his criticism in an open letter published by Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Friday. Chikli argued that such statements trivialize the term “genocide.”
During his address, Pope Francis mentioned an incident involving the Catholic bishop of Jerusalem, known as a patriarch. The patriarch was denied entry into Gaza on Friday while attempting to visit Catholics in the enclave. While the patriarch’s office declined to comment, the Israeli military shared its perspective. It stated on Saturday that the entry had been approved. The visit would proceed on Sunday, provided no significant security concerns arose. According to the military, aid from the patriarch’s office had already entered Gaza the previous week.
Israel’s military said it cooperates with the Christian community to facilitate clergy access to Gaza. It also assists Christian residents, including coordinating evacuations to third countries when necessary.
The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led Palestinian militants launched a deadly assault on southern Israeli communities. This attack killed 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas. This campaign has resulted in over 45,000 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The airstrikes have displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza. They have also devastated much of the territory.
Israel asserts that at least a third of those killed were militants. It maintains that it takes measures to avoid civilian casualties. However, it accuses Hamas of embedding fighters and infrastructure within densely populated urban areas. Hamas denies these claims.
