Pope Francis: “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide.”

Rome November 17, 2024(QJ) Pope Francis has suggested to the international community to study whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide against the Palestinian people, one of his most explicit criticisms of Israel’s conduct in its ongoing conflict.

In excerpts from an upcoming book, the pontiff mentioned that some international experts have stated that “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide.”

“We must carefully examine and assess whether this conforms to the technical definition [of genocide] established by international lawyers and organizations,” the pope said in the writings published by the Italian daily, La Stampa.

Francis, the leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church, often avoids taking sides in international conflicts, focusing instead on de-escalation. However, he has intensified his criticism of Israel’s conduct in the war.