VATICAN (Reuters): Leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis deplored Monday the ongoing attack on Gaza and Ukraine, saying that “indiscriminately striking” civilians is a war crime because it violates international humanitarian law.
Francis, 87, made his comments in a 45-minute annual address to Vatican-accredited envoys that is sometimes called his “state of the world” speech.
Expressing concern that Israel’s war on Gaza could spread in the wider Middle East, he called for a “cease-fire on every front, including Lebanon.”
He condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion into southern Israel as an “atrocious” act and renewed a call for the immediate liberation of those still being held in Gaza.
In remarks linking the two main conflicts in the world today, Francis said modern warfare often does not distinguish between military and civilian objectives.
There is no conflict that does not end up in some way “indiscriminately striking” the civilian population, he said.
“The events in Ukraine and Gaza are clear proof of this. We must not forget that grave violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes and that it is not sufficient to point them out, but also necessary to prevent them.
“There is a need for greater effort on the part of the international community to defend and implement humanitarian law, which seems to be the only way to ensure the defense of human dignity in situations of warfare,” he said.
Israel’s military campaign in densely populated Gaza has so far killed 22,835 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
Francis also said the recent resurgence of antisemitism since the start of the Gaza war was a “scourge” that must be eliminated from society.
