Israel has accused Pope Francis of displaying “double standards” following his remarks condemning the bombing of children in Gaza, describing such actions as “cruelty.”
The Pope made the comments after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed 10 members of a family, including seven children, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Friday.
Recall that during a meeting with officials of the Holy See, Pope Francis expressed his dismay over the situation in Gaza, saying, “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.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded sharply, stating that the Pope’s comments were “disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel’s fight against jihadist terrorism.”
The statement pointed out the ongoing conflict, which began on October 7 following an attack by Hamas militants who took hostages, including children and a baby, and carried out a deadly assault on Israeli territory.
The ministry criticized the Pope’s remarks, saying, “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 Gaza Civil Defence agency reported that the airstrike targeted a residential area, claiming the lives of members of the same family.
The incident has drawn widespread international condemnation, with calls for restraint and humanitarian considerations in the ongoing conflict.
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