Pope Francis Calls for Investigation into Potential Genocide in Gaza

Pope Francis has called for a thorough investigation to determine if Israel's military actions in Gaza amount to genocide. This marks some of his most direct criticism of Israel. The statement follows a pending case at the International Court of Justice against Israel over potential violations of the Genocide Convention.

Pope Francis has appealed to the global community to investigate whether Israel's military operations in Gaza could be classified as genocide. This comes as one of his most direct critiques of Israel's actions during its longstanding conflict with Hamas.

The pontiff's remarks were published in excerpts from an upcoming book, shared by the Italian daily La Stampa. He noted that some international experts believe the situation in Gaza bears the hallmarks of genocide. Israel has consistently denied these accusations and the Israeli foreign ministry has yet to respond to these recent comments.

Previously, South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention. Judges have instructed Israel to ensure its troops refrain from committing genocidal acts, though the central issue of whether genocide has occurred remains undecided. The Vatican news outlet reported on this development without offering additional comments.

(With inputs from agencies.)