From AP:
Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released Sunday from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff’s jubilee year.
It’s the first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. In September, he said Israel’s attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been “immoral” and disproportionate, and that its military has gone beyond the rules of war.
Vatican News adds:
The new book by Pope Francis for the Jubilee 2025 focuses on the theme, “Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world” and will be published by Hernán Reyes Alcaide, Edizioni Piemme publishers. The book comes out on Tuesday 19 November in Italy, Spain and Latin America, and later in other countries.
In one passage the Pope mentions the humanitarian crisis in Gaza saying that what has happened must be investigated. Speaking of nations receiving war refugees, he says “In the Middle East, where the open doors of nations like Jordan or Lebanon continue to be a salvation for millions of people fleeing conflicts in the region: I am thinking above all of those who leave Gaza in the midst of the famine that has struck their Palestinian brothers and sisters given the difficulty of getting food and aid into their territory.”
“According to some experts,” Pope Francis writes, “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
