Pope Francis has suggested that the international community should examine whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide, marking his most explicit criticism yet of Israel's conduct in the war, Reuters reported on Sunday.
In excerpts from an upcoming book published by La Stampa, the pontiff acknowledged that some international experts believe "what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. We should investigate carefully to assess whether this fits into the technical definition formulated by international jurists and organizations," the pope said in the excerpts.
Last week, the pope met at the Vatican with former hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who are advocating for the release of family members and others still in captivity.
The comments come amid ongoing legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice. Last December, South Africa filed a case against Israel, alleging violations of the Genocide Convention. The court ordered Israel in January to ensure its forces do not commit genocidal acts, though it has not yet ruled on whether genocide has occurred in Gaza.
Francis, who leads the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, typically maintains neutrality in international conflicts while advocating for de-escalation. However, he has recently increased his criticism of Israel's military operations. In September, he expressed concern over Palestinian children's deaths from Israeli strikes in Gaza. He also issued strong criticism of Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon, describing them as going "beyond morality."
While Francis has not previously used the term genocide publicly regarding Gaza, controversy arose last year after Palestinians who met with him at the Vatican claimed he used the word in private conversations. The Vatican stated he had not used the term.
