Pope Francis Calls For Investigation To Determine if Israel's Attacks in Gaza Constitute 'Genocide'

Rome: Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released on Sunday from an upcoming new book ahe of pontiff's jubilee year.

It's first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel's actions in 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 rules of war.

book, by Hernán Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with Pope, is entitled “Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world".

It will be released on Tuesday ahe of pope's 2025 jubilee. Francis' yearlong jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate Holy Year.

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has characteristics of a genocide,” pope said in excerpts published Sunday by Italian daily La Stampa.

“We should investigate carefully to determine wher it fits into technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he ded.

Last year, Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “terrorism” and, according to Palestinians, “genocide”.

Francis spoke at time about suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians after his meetings, which were arranged before Israeli-Hamas hostage deal and a temporary halt in fighting was announced.

pontiff, who last week also met with a delegation of Israeli hostages who were released and ir families pressing campaign to bring remaining captives home h editorial control over upcoming book.

war started when militant Hamas group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 as hostages and taking m back to Gaza, where dozens still remain.

Israel's subsequent yearlong military campaign has killed more than 43,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, whose count doesn't distinguish between civilians and fighters, though y say more than half of de are women and children.

Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza has triggered several legal cases at international courts in Hague involving requests for arrest warrants as well as accusations and denials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

In new book, Francis also speaks about migration and problem of integrating migrants in ir host countries.

“Faced with this challenge, no country can be left alone and no one can think of dressing issue in isolation through more restrictive and repressive laws, sometimes approved under pressure of fear or in search of electoral vantages,” Francis said.

“On contrary, just as we see that re is a globalization of indifference, we must respond with globalization of charity and cooperation,” he ded. Francis also mentioned “still open wound of war in Ukraine has led thousands of people to abandon ir homes, especially during first months of conflict”. 

(Except for heline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)