Pope Francis has, for the first time, called for an investigation into whether the Israeli war on Gaza constitutes genocide. This comes in light of Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, referring to Israeli actions as immoral, disproportionate, and in violation of the rules of war.
These remarks were included in a new book authored by Hernan Reyes Alcaide, based on interviews with the Pope, titled *“Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World.” It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope’s 2025 jubilee. Pope Francis’ yearlong jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate the Holy Year.
Excerpts from the book published on Sunday in Italy’s La Stampa daily, quote the Pope as stating that some international experts say “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide”. He added, “We should investigate carefully to assess whether this fits into the technical definition [of genocide] formulated by international jurists and organizations.”
Last year, Pope Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “terrorism” and, in relation to the Palestinians, “genocide.” Pope Francis spoke at the time about the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians after his meetings, which were arranged before the Israeli-Hamas hostage deal and a temporary halt in fighting was announced.
Pope Francis also decried the brutality of Israel’s yearlong war on Gaza, which has killed more than 43,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, most of them are women and children.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has triggered several legal cases at international courts in The Hague involving requests for arrest warrants as well as accusations and denials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
In the new book, Pope Francis also speaks about migration and the problem of integrating migrants in their host countries.
“Faced with this challenge, no country can be left alone and no one can think of addressing the issue in isolation through more restrictive and repressive laws, sometimes approved under the pressure of fear or in search of electoral advantages,” Pope Francis said.
“On the contrary, just as we see that there is a globalization of indifference, we must respond with the globalization of charity and cooperation,” he added.
