VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the Israeli bombing of children in Gaza as “cruelty”, a day after the territory’s rescue agency said an Israeli air strike killed seven children from one family.
Gaza’s civil defence rescue agency reported that an Israeli air strike killed 10 members of a family on Friday in the northern part of the territory, including seven children.
“Yesterday they did not allow the Patriarch (of Jerusalem) into Gaza as promised. Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” Pope told members of the government of the Holy See.
“I want to say it because it touches my heart.”
Israeli violence in the Gaza Strip continues to rock the Palestinian territory more than 14 months into the relentless bombardment campaign, even as international mediators work to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The Israeli military told AFP it had struck “several fighters who were operating in a military structure belonging to the Hamas organisation and posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area”.
“According to an initial examination, the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not align with the information held by the IDF,” it added.
Francis, 88, has called for peace in Gaza, where Israel has continued a relentless bombardment campaign since October 7, 2023.
Staggering Death Toll
The health ministry in Gaza said on Saturday that at least 45,227, Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed during more than 14 months of the Israeli bombardment campaign.
The toll includes 21 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry, which said 107,573 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
In recent weeks Pope Francis has hardened his remarks against the Israeli offensive.
At the end of November, he said that “the invader’s arrogance… prevails over dialogue” in “Palestine”, a rare position that contrasts with the tradition of neutrality of the Holy See.
In extracts from a forthcoming book published in November, Pope called for a “careful” study as to whether the situation in Gaza “corresponds to the technical definition” of genocide, an accusation firmly rejected by Israel.
The Holy See has recognised the State of Palestine since 2013, with which it maintains diplomatic relations, and it supports the two-state solution.
Trapped in ‘Graveyard’
UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer Louise Wateridge warned on Friday that Gaza has become a “graveyard” as heavy winter rains, hunger, dire living conditions and ongoing hostilities continue to endanger lives.
“An entire society here is now a graveyard … Over two million people are trapped,” she said, speaking from the Nuseirat camp.
“It’s impossible for families to shelter in these conditions,” she said. “Most people are living under fabric, they don’t even have waterproof structures and 69 percent of the buildings here have been damaged or destroyed. There’s absolutely nowhere for people to shelter from these elements.”
Israeli politicians in October passed legislation to bar UNRWA from operating in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem while raising the prospect of similar measures against other aid agencies.
