Vatican Not Ready To Declare War In Gaza A Genocide: Pope Leo XIV
The Holy See is not ready to declare Israel's campaign in Gaza genocide, Pope Leo XIV said in an interview given in July but published Thursday.
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 25
- |
- From: India News Bull
Pope Leo XIV addressed the Gaza conflict in a July interview published recently.
Holy See:
Pope Leo XIV stated that the Vatican is not prepared to officially classify Israel's military operations in Gaza as genocide, according to an interview conducted in July but released on Thursday.
"The term genocide is increasingly being used," the pontiff remarked during his conversation with American journalist Elise Ann Allen for the publication "Pope Leo XIV: Global Citizen, Missionary of the 21st Century".
"At this time, the Holy See officially cannot make any declaration regarding that.
"Genocide has a very specific technical definition, though an increasing number of people are raising concerns about this issue."
On Tuesday, UN investigators leveled accusations against Israel of perpetrating genocide in Gaza in an effort to "destroy the Palestinians," and claimed that Israel's prime minister and other senior officials engaged in incitement.
This represents the first instance of a UN-mandated investigative body concluding that the country is committing genocide.
In the July interview, the American-born Pope expressed frustration that even the United States faces challenges in pressuring Israel to alleviate suffering in Gaza, where Palestinians are facing starvation according to the UN.
"Despite some very explicit statements from the United States government, recently by President Trump, there hasn't been a clear response in terms of finding effective methods to reduce the suffering of innocent people in Gaza, which is obviously deeply concerning," he stated.
The Pope described it as "truly horrific to witness the images broadcast on television," adding, "hopefully we won't become desensitized".
"We cannot ignore this situation. We must continue to push forward and try to effect change there," he further commented.
Deviating from the Vatican's official position, Leo's predecessor Pope Francis had previously questioned whether Israel's forceful military response in Gaza constituted genocide.
The conflict in Gaza erupted following Hamas's attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,219 deaths, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has displaced virtually all of Gaza's population and has resulted in more than 65,000 fatalities, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza that the UN considers reliable.
On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV expressed solidarity with Gaza's population, noting that civilians had been "once again" forced from their land and were living under "unacceptable conditions".