Israel has accused Pope Francis of exhibiting “double standards” in his criticism of the ongoing war in Gaza. The Pope had on Friday condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that killed children, labelling such actions as “cruelty.”
The Pope made the remark after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed 10 members of a family, including seven children, in northern Gaza on Friday.
Addressing officials of the Holy See, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow over the escalating violence in the war torn zone.
He said, “Yesterday they did not allow the Patriarch of Jerusalem into Gaza as promised. Yesterday, children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war. I want to say it because it touches my heart.”
But in response to the Pope, the Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a stern statement criticizing the Pope’s comments. Describing it as “disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism.”
The ministry highlighted the ongoing conflict, which erupted on October 7 following an attack by Hamas militants. It noted that the assault included hostage-taking, involving children and infants, and left hundreds of Israelis dead.
“Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children. Cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days… Unfortunately, the Pope has chosen to ignore all of this,” the ministry’s statement read.
The Gaza Civil Defence agency reported that the airstrike targeted a residential area, killing members of the same family and sparking international outrage.
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