Pope Francis Calls for Inquiry into Potential Genocide in Gaza

The Pope urges a thorough investigation into whether Israel's military actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide.

Pope Francis has suggested that the international community should investigate if Israel's military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide, marking his strongest public criticism yet of Israel's actions.
The call for investigation is based on excerpts from a forthcoming book by the Pope, where he notes that some experts believe the situation in Gaza has genocidal characteristics.
Israel has denied allegations of genocide, asserting that its military operations are self-defense actions against Hamas, following the October 2023 attack by the militant group.
The International Court of Justice is currently considering a case filed by South Africa, accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, though no ruling has been made yet.
The conflict has resulted in over 43,000 deaths in Gaza, with reports indicating that a significant majority of the casualties are women and children, according to Gaza health officials.