In August, Pope Francis once again thrust himself into the political arena, this time condemning Israel’s military actions in Gaza as “terrorism.”
During his recent recitation of the Angelus prayer from St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff made inflammatory statements that not only mischaracterize a complex conflict but also undermine the legitimacy of a nation defending itself against ongoing aggression.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a coordinated assault on Israel, marking one of the most severe terrorist attacks in history.
Human Rights Watch has documented numerous violations of international humanitarian law during the attack that could amount to war crimes. These violations included deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, willful killings of persons in custody, and hostage-taking.
Israeli authorities reported that approximately 1,195 individuals were killed as a result of the terrorist attack, with assessments indicating that at least 815 among them were civilians, including foreign nationals, women, and children.
The terrorist attack also resulted in a significant hostage crisis, with reports stating that Palestinian armed groups took approximately 251 civilians and members of Israeli security forces into Gaza. Over 100 are still missing.
Francis, in an apparent attempt to further vilify Israel’s efforts to protect its citizens, recounted a tragic incident involving a mother and her daughter, who he claimed were killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) snipers. The Pope used this incident to stoke outrage, ignoring the complex realities of urban warfare and the well-documented tactics of terrorist groups using civilian areas as shields.
The pontiff went on to conflate war with terrorism, stating, “Some say: ‘It’s terrorism, it’s war.’ Yes, it’s war, it’s terrorism. This is why Scripture states that ‘God makes wars cease… he breaks bows and breaks spears.’ Let us pray to the Lord for peace.”
Now this…
The Times of Israel reported – Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute “genocide,” according to excerpts released today from an upcoming new book on the pontiff.
It’s the first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. In September, he said Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been “immoral” and disproportionate, and that its military has gone beyond the rules of war.
In the new book, Pope Francis calls for an investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza since Hamas slaughter of Jews on October 7.
