Pope Francis described Israel’s behavior in the Gaza Strip in a telephone conversation with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog as “terror against terror.” The perpetrators of the Hamas attack must be held accountable. But this should not have consequences for citizens, according to the head of the Catholic Church.
According to a Washington Post report cited by Kathpress on Friday, Francis said in the conversation that it was “forbidden to answer terror for terror.” The perpetrators of the Hamas attack on October 7 must be held accountable, but not civilians.
The newspaper refers to information from an Israeli official who was aware of the conversation. Herzog protested and subsequently defended the attacks in the Gaza Strip as necessary to protect Israel.
Israel is silent
Herzog’s office would not confirm the pope’s words to the newspaper. It said no information was given about “private conversations.” The Vatican said the phone call took place in the context of papal efforts to limit the severity and spread of the conflict in the Holy Land.
Pope: “You suffer so much”
During his general audience at the Vatican on November 22, after two separate meetings with relatives of Palestinians in Gaza and with relatives of Hamas hostages, Francis said: “They are suffering so much, and I have heard how they are both suffering. Wars cause this, but here we have gone beyond wars; “That’s not warfare, that’s terrorism.” It remained unclear whether he meant both warring parties or just one.
Palestinian participants in the meeting with the Pope also said at the time that Francis had said regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip: “I see genocide.” However, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni denied that the pope had used the term.
Source: Krone
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