Israel responds to Pope Francis: Accuses pontiff of double standards after Gaza bombing remarks
In a poignant address on Saturday, December 21, Pope Francis condemned the bombing of children in Gaza, labeling it an act of “cruelty.” His comments sparked a swift reaction from Israel, which accused the pontiff of unfairly targeting the nation in his statements.
The pope’s criticism followed tragic reports from Gaza’s civil defense agency indicating that an Israeli airstrike had claimed the lives of seven children from the same family.
Speaking from the Vatican, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, stating, “Yesterday, children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war.” He further criticised Israel for allegedly preventing the Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering Gaza “as promised.”
Israel’s foreign ministry in a statement said that the Pope’s comments were “particularly disappointing”, and claimed, they were “disconnected” from the broader context of its fight against “jihadist terrorism — a multi-front war that was forced upon it starting on October 7.”
“Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people,” the statement read, arguing that the true cruelty lies in Hamas, using children as shields and holding hostages, including infants, for over 400 days.
“Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and children, by terrorists and abusing them,” the Israeli statement said.
This refers to the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that left 1,208 Israelis dead and 251 hostages taken, sparking the current war in Gaza.
Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Friday’s airstrike killed 10 family members, including seven children, in the northern region of the territory. The Israeli military countered, saying it had “several terrorists who were operating in a military structure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation and posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area”.
It also questioned the reported casualty figures and said: “According to an initial examination, the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not align with the information held by the IDF.”
The war, raging for over 14 months, has claimed at least 45,206 lives in Gaza, primarily civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations has deemed these figures credible.
Pope Francis, 88, has consistently called for peace but has recently taken a firmer stance. In November, he slammed Israel for its “invader’s arrogance” in Palestine, breaking from the Holy See’s tradition of neutrality.
In a new book, the pope even suggested examining whether the Gaza situation meets the definition of genocide, a claim firmly dismissed by Israel. The Vatican officially recognised the State of Palestine in 2013 and supports a two-state solution.
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