On Saturday, Pope Francis criticized the bombing of children in Gaza, describing it as an act of “cruelty.” 

His statement followed a report from Gaza’s Civil Defense rescue agency that an Israeli airstrike in the northern part of the territory on Friday killed 10 members of a family, including seven children.  

“Yesterday they did not allow the Patriarch (of Jerusalem) into Gaza as promised. Yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty, this is not war,” he told members of the Holy See’s government, adding, “I want to say it because it touches my heart.”  

Since the escalation of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, the Pope has consistently called for “peace.” In recent weeks, however, he has adopted a firmer stance against the Israeli offensive.  

At the end of November, the Pope stated that “the invader’s arrogance… prevails over dialogue” in “Palestine,” marking a rare deviation from the Holy See’s tradition of neutrality.  

Baby Jesus with a Keffiyeh – A Historic Nativity Scene at the Vatican

In excerpts from a forthcoming book published in November, he suggested a “careful” examination of whether the situation in Gaza “corresponds to the technical definition” of genocide, a claim strongly denied by Israeli authorities.  

The Holy See, which recognized the State of Palestine in 2013, maintains diplomatic relations with it and continues to advocate for a two-state solution.  

Moreover, on December 8, Pope Francis unveiled the Vatican’s annual nativity scene, which featured baby Jesus draped in a Palestinian keffiyeh, according to Vatican News. 

This symbolic addition underscored the Holy Family’s connection to Bethlehem and served as a nod to the Palestinian struggle.

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Crafted by Palestinian artists from Bethlehem, the scene included a Bethlehem Star inscribed in both Latin and Arabic with the words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people.” 

Figures of the Holy Family were carved from olive wood, further connecting the display to its place of origin.

(PC, Al Mayadeen)