According to the report from Reuters, an Israeli government minister criticized Pope Francis on Friday for suggesting the international community should investigate whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide against Palestinians.
Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, in an open letter published by the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, said the pope's remarks trivialize the term genocide, particularly given the Jewish people's historical trauma from the Holocaust.
"As a people who lost six million of its sons and daughters in the Holocaust, we are particularly sensitive to the trivialization of the term 'genocide'-a trivialization that comes dangerously close to Holocaust denial," Chikli wrote.
The minister addressed the pope directly, asking him to clarify his position on the genocide accusations against Israel. He concluded by referring to Francis as "a dear friend of the Jewish people."
The Vatican has not commented on the letter.
The pope's remarks were part of excerpts from a forthcoming book published last month by Italian newspaper La Stampa.
In the excerpts, the pontiff noted that some experts argue Israel's actions in Gaza exhibit characteristics of genocide.
He called for a careful investigation to determine if the situation meets the technical definition of genocide under international law.
Israel has dismissed the accusations as baseless, maintaining that its offensive in Gaza is aimed at dismantling Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
Gaza health authorities report that over 45,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 107,000 injured in the conflict, with most of the region's population displaced or homeless.
Sadly, the Israeli military operation began after Hamas-led militants launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.
Furthermore, Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has historically been cautious about taking sides in conflicts.
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