Pope Francis condemns Israeli 'cruelty' in Gaza

Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, expressing sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day.

"Yesterday, children were bombed. This is not war. This is cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart," he told members of the Roman Curia, the Vatican's central administration.

He also lamented that Israeli airstrikes had prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 45,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and reduced the territory to rubble.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign in the enclave.

The pontiff has also called for an investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts from an upcoming new book.