Pope Francis calls Israeli strikes in Lebanon 'beyond morality'

Pope Francis, asked about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, criticized the military attacks that he said go "beyond morality," reported on Sunday by Reuters. 

On the flight back to Rome from Belgium, the pontiff said countries cannot go "over the top" in using their military forces. "Even in war, there is a morality to safeguard," he said. War is immoral, but the rules of war give it some morality."

Responding to a question during an in-flight press conference about Israel's latest strikes, the 87-year-old pope said: "Defense must always be proportionate to the attack. When there is something disproportionate, you see a tendency to dominate that goes beyond morality."

Not side taking

Francis, as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, often makes calls for an end to violent conflicts but is usually cautious about appearing to determine the aggressors. He has spoken more openly in recent weeks about Israel's military actions in its nearly year-long war against Hamas.

Last week, the pope said Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon were "unacceptable" and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting. In a September 28 press conference, he decried the deaths of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza.

Francis said on Sundaym that he speaks on the phone with members of a Catholic parish in Gaza "every day." He said the parishioners tell him about conditions on the ground, and "also the cruelty that is happening there."