VATICAN CITY:

Pope Francis on Saturday criticized Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, following a public rebuke from an Israeli minister over his recent suggestion that the international community examine whether the offensive against the Palestinians could constitute genocide.

Speaking to Catholic cardinals, Francis addressed airstrikes that reportedly killed 25 Palestinians on Friday, calling the bombing of children an act of cruelty and not war.

“Yesterday, children were bombed,” the pope said. “It’s cruelty. It’s not war. I wanted to say that because it touches the heart.”

The pontiff, head of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church, traditionally avoids taking sides in conflicts but is increasingly speaking out about Israel’s military campaign against Hamas. Last month, he cited experts who described the events in Gaza as having genocidal characteristics.

Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli condemned the pope’s remarks, accusing him of trivializing the term genocide.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has defended the military campaign, saying it targets Hamas, which it says uses civilians as shields while committing atrocities including hostage-taking and child abuse.

The ministry expressed regret for all the innocent victims and highlighted efforts to prevent civilian harm, contrasting this with what it described as deliberate endangerment of Palestinian civilians by Hamas.

Francis also revealed that the Catholic bishop of Jerusalem, the Patriarch, was denied entry to Gaza on Friday despite his intention to visit Catholics there.

The Israeli military later confirmed that its entry would be permitted on Sunday, security permitting, and noted advance aid deliveries coordinated with its office.

The conflict originated in an attack by Hamas against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left more than 1,200 people dead and more than 250 hostages taken to Gaza.

Israel’s campaign of retaliation has caused more than 45,000 deaths, mostly civilians, according to Gaza authorities. Israel says a third of casualties are combatants, affirming its efforts to minimize harm to civilians despite the complexity of urban warfare. Hamas denies accusations of integration into civilian areas.