Pope Francis has once again thrust himself into the political arena, this time condemning Israel’s military actions in Gaza as “terrorism.”
During his recent recitation of the Angelus prayer from St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff made inflammatory statements that not only mischaracterize a complex conflict but also undermine the legitimacy of a nation defending itself against ongoing aggression.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched a coordinated assault on Israel, marking one of the most severe terrorist attacks in history.
Human Rights Watch has documented numerous violations of international humanitarian law during the attack that could amount to war crimes. These violations included deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, willful killings of persons in custody, and hostage-taking.
Israeli authorities reported that approximately 1,195 individuals were killed as a result of the terrorist attack, with assessments indicating that at least 815 among them were civilians, including foreign nationals, women, and children.
The terrorist attack also resulted in a significant hostage crisis, with reports stating that Palestinian armed groups took approximately 251 civilians and members of Israeli security forces into Gaza.
On Thursday, the shocking statement from Pope Francis was delivered to millions of Catholics around the world, who tuned in for what they expected to be a message of peace and prayer.
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza,” the Pope began, immediately delving into his one-sided narrative. “Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings. And this even happened inside the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, sick and disabled people, nuns.”
Francis, in an apparent attempt to further vilify Israel’s efforts to protect its citizens, recounted a tragic incident involving a mother and her daughter, who he claimed were killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) snipers. The Pope used this incident to stoke outrage, ignoring the complex realities of urban warfare and the well-documented tactics of terrorist groups using civilian areas as shields.
The pontiff went on to conflate war with terrorism, stating, “Some say: ‘It’s terrorism, it’s war.’ Yes, it’s war, it’s terrorism. This is why Scripture states that ‘God makes wars cease… he breaks bows and breaks spears.’ Let us pray to the Lord for peace.”
WATCH:
JUST IN: Pope Francis says Israel’s war in Gaza is “terrorism.”
“I continue to receive very serious and painful news from Gaza. Unarmed civilians are subjected to bombings and shootings. A mother and her daughter were killed by Israeli snipers while going to the restroom.… pic.twitter.com/oJAqQTQaxN
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) August 16, 2024
