Pope Francis stirred controversy on Wednesday as he separately met with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians affected by the ongoing war. Departing from the usual diplomatic language, the Pope used the term “terrorism” and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide” to describe the situation. These meetings were scheduled before the announcement of the Israeli-Hamas hostage deal and the temporary cessation of hostilities. Despite the significant diplomatic breakthrough with the deal, Pope Francis did not explicitly reference it in his discussions, focusing instead on expressing concern for the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.
The Pope, Pope Francis, held separate meetings at the Vatican with 12 relatives of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and with 10 Palestinians who have lost family members or been otherwise affected by the war in Gaza. These meetings occurred for about 20 minutes each. The Pope discussed the suffering caused by the conflict during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. He used strong language, stating, “Here we’ve gone beyond war. This isn’t war anymore, this is terrorism,” and called for prayers for peace. Pope Francis stirred
Francis emphasized the need for a resolution to the conflict and urged both Israeli and Palestinian people to avoid escalating passions that result in further casualties. The Pope, known for advocating an end to the war, maintained the Vatican’s diplomatic neutrality, expressing concern for the well-being of Christians in Gaza. The Pope’s use of the term “genocide” to describe the impact of the war on Gaza was mentioned by members of the Palestinian delegation who attended the private meeting, expressing their surprise at the Pope’s depth of knowledge about the situation.