Pope calls bombing of Gaza children 'cruelty, not war'

Pope Francis on Saturday criticised Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, following a public rebuke from an Israeli minister over his recent suggestion that the global community examine whether the offensive against Palestinians might constitute genocide.

Addressing Catholic cardinals, Francis referred to airstrikes that reportedly killed 25 Palestinians on Friday, calling the bombing of children an act of cruelty, not war.

"Yesterday, children were bombed," said the pope. "This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart."

The pontiff, leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church, has traditionally avoided taking sides in conflicts but has been increasingly vocal about Israel's military campaign against Hamas. Last month, he cited experts who described events in Gaza as having genocidal characteristics.

Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli condemned the pope’s remarks, accusing him of trivialising the term genocide.

Israel’s foreign ministry defended the military campaign, stating it targets Hamas, who they claim use civilians as shields while committing atrocities, including hostage-taking and child abuse.

The ministry expressed regret for all innocent casualties and emphasised efforts to prevent civilian harm, contrasting this with what they described as Hamas's deliberate endangerment of Palestinian civilians.

Francis also revealed that the Catholic bishop of Jerusalem, the patriarch, was denied entry to Gaza on Friday despite his intent to visit Catholics there.

The Israeli military later confirmed his entry would be allowed on Sunday, security permitting, and noted prior aid deliveries coordinated with his office.

The conflict originated with a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has caused over 45,000 deaths, predominantly civilians, according to Gaza authorities. Israel claims a third of the casualties are fighters, asserting efforts to minimise civilian harm despite the complexities of urban warfare. Hamas denies accusations of embedding within civilian areas.