Pope says there should be a careful study to see if criteria for genocide are met
Israel says accusations of genocide are baseless
Israeli ambassador says Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023 was a genocidal massacre
Pope has stepped up criticism of Israel’s actions recently
Pope Francis has suggested the global community should study whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people, in some of his most explicit criticism yet of Israel’s conduct in its year-long war.
In excerpts published on Sunday from a forthcoming book, the pontiff said some international experts say that “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide”.
“We should investigate carefully to assess whether this fits into the technical definition (of genocide) formulated by international jurists and organisations,” the pope said in the excerpts, published by Italian daily La Stampa.
