Pope Francis condemns Israeli killings of civilians at Gaza church
Pope Francis has condemned the Israeli killings of two Christian women who were sheltering at a Gaza church, suggesting Israel was using “terrorism” tactics across the strip.
Reuters reports:
At his weekly blessing, Francis referred to a statement about an incident on Saturday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Holy Land.
The Patriarchate said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “sniper” killed the two women, whom the pope named as Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar, as they walked to a convent of nuns in the compound of the Holy Family Parish.
The Patriarchate statement said seven other people were shot and wounded as they tried to protect others.
“I continue to receive very grave and painful news from Gaza,” Francis said. “Unarmed civilians are the objects of bombings and shootings. And this happened even inside the Holy Family parish complex, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick or disabled, nuns.”
Francis said they were killed by “snipers” and also referred to the Patriarchate’s statement that a convent of nuns of the order founded by Mother Teresa was damaged by Israeli tank fire.
“Some would say ‘It is war. It is terrorism.’ Yes, it is war. It is terrorism,” he said. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson said the incident was still under review and had no immediate comment on the pope’s words.
It was the second time in less than a month that the pope used the word “terrorism” while speaking of events in Gaza.
On Nov. 22, after meeting separately with Israeli relatives of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians with family in Gaza, he said: “This is what wars do. But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism.”