Pope Francis participated in a lunch organized on World Day of the Poor at the Paul VI audience hall in The Vatican on November 17, 2024. — AFP

Pope Francis has proposed that the global community should examine whether Israel's military operations in Gaza qualify as a genocide against the Palestinian people, marking some of his most direct criticism yet of Israel's actions during its ongoing year-long conflict. In excerpts from an upcoming book published on Sunday, the pontiff noted that some international experts argue 'what is happening in Gaza bears the hallmarks of a genocide'. 'We should conduct a thorough investigation to determine if this aligns with the technical definition (of genocide) established by international jurists and organizations,' the pope stated in the excerpts, which were published by Italian daily La Stampa.

Israel has vehemently denied any allegations of genocide. The Israeli foreign ministry did not respond promptly to a request for comment on the pope's statements. In December, South Africa brought a case against Israel to the International Court of Justice, accusing it of breaching the Genocide Convention. In January, the court's judges instructed Israel to prevent its forces from committing any genocidal acts. The court has yet to rule on the central issue of whether genocide has taken place in Gaza.

As the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, Francis typically refrains from taking sides in international disputes, emphasizing de-escalation. However, he has recently intensified his criticism of Israel's actions in its war against Hamas. In September, he condemned the deaths of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza and harshly criticized Israel's airstrikes in Lebanon as 'beyond morality'.

Francis has not previously publicly labeled the situation in Gaza as a genocide. However, last year he was embroiled in controversy after meeting with a group of Palestinians at the Vatican, who claimed he had used the term privately, while the Vatican denied this. The Vatican has not commented on Francis' latest remarks, but its news website reported on Sunday about the book excerpts, including the genocide comment.

Last week, Francis met at the Vatican with a delegation of former hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, who are advocating for the release of family members and others still being held.

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