‘This is cruelty, this is not war’: Pope cites Hamas death claims in latest Israel condemnation

Pope Francis on Saturday decried the alleged deaths of seven children in Gaza, claiming, “this is cruelty, this is not war,” citing Hamas’s civil defense rescue agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Hamas’s civil defense claimed 10 members of a family were killed in an Israeli airstrike, including seven children.

“I want to say it because it touches my heart,” Francis said.

The IDF confirmed to AFP that they had targeted “several terrorists who were operating in a military structure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization and posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area.”

The IDF also asserted that the number of casualties listed by Hamas “does not align with the information held by the IDF.”

The figures provided by Hamas on civilian deaths have long drawn skepticism, as the terror organization fails to distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

Last week, a study published by the Henry Jackson Society also found Hamas had changed the genders and ages of those killed as part of a coordinated effort to draw condemnation to Israel.

Francis also complained that “yesterday they [Israel] did not allow the Patriarch [of Jerusalem] into Gaza as promised.”

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, has previously offered to be exchanged to Hamas in place of some of the children the terror group abducted on October 7.

The cardinal previously claimed, “You can’t talk to Hamas. It is very difficult.”

A tumultuous relationship with Israel

The pope and the Vatican have seen a fraying of ties with Israel since Hamas initiated the war with its October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

On Thursday, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli accused the pope of perpetuating a “dangerous blood libel” against Israel after Francis claimed Israel should be carefully investigated following allegations of genocide and after the Vatican displayed a nativity scene featuring the baby Jesus wrapped in a Palestinian keffiyeh.

“Two weeks ago, you took part in a display that echoes the Palestinian narrative, portraying Jesus as a Palestinian Arab,” Chikli wrote. “Had this been a one-time matter, I would not have written. However, in a more severe expression, you recently insinuated that the State of Israel ‘might be’ committing genocide in Gaza.”

Additionally, in September, Francis criticized the IDF’s strikes in Lebanon as “beyond morality.”

While there is currently a ceasefire in place between Israel and Hezbollah, heavy fighting and aerial attacks ensued as Hezbollah began launching attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023.

The Lebanon-based terror group killed a number of civilians during its attacks and had planned on raiding Israel, envisioning a massacre similar to the one committed by its ally, Hamas, on October 7, 2023.