Pope suggests international study on ‘genocide’ in Gaza

In some of his most explicit criticism yet of Israel’s handling of its year-long war, Pope Francis suggested that the global community should investigate whether Israel’s military action in Gaza constitutes genocide against the Palestinian people.

In excerpts published Sunday from a new book, the pope said some international experts say “what is happening in Gaza qualifies as genocide.”

“We must investigate carefully to evaluate whether this meets the technical definition (of genocide) formulated by international lawyers and organizations,” the pope said in quotes published by the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Israel has denied all accusations of genocide. Israel’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pope’s remarks.

Last December, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice for allegedly violating the Genocide Convention. In January, judges at the court ordered Israel to ensure that its soldiers did not commit genocidal acts. The court has not yet ruled on whether genocide occurred in Gaza, which is the essence of the case. Francis, the leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church, is generally careful not to take sides in international conflicts and to emphasize reducing tensions.