Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, expressed regret on Sunday, December 17, over the deaths of two Christian women who sought refuge in a church and were killed by the Israeli army, claiming that Israel is using "terrorism" tactics in Gaza. According to Reuters, during his weekly prayer at the Vatican, Pope Francis stated that unarmed civilians in Gaza are the targets of bombings and shootings, noting that this has even occurred within the sanctuary of the church, where there are no terrorists, only families, children, sick or disabled individuals, and nuns present. He mentioned that he continues to receive very difficult and painful news from Gaza, referencing a statement from Saturday by the head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, which said that a "sniper" from the Israeli Defense Forces targeted and killed two women named Nahideh Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar as they were heading towards the nuns' monastery within the church premises. According to this statement, seven others were shot and wounded while trying to protect others during the incident. Pope Francis further stated that the nuns' monastery, established by Mother Teresa, has been damaged by Israeli tank fire, adding, "Some will say this is war; this is terrorism. Yes, this is war; this is terrorism." A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to the Pope's remarks by stating that the incident is still under investigation and that there is no immediate comment on Pope Francis's statements. This is the second time in less than a month that the Pope has used the term "terrorism" when discussing events in Gaza. Previously, on November 22, after a separate meeting with relatives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, he said, "This is what wars do. But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war; this is terrorism." Jewish groups criticized Pope Francis for his use of the term "terrorism" in his previous remarks. He has repeatedly called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and urged Hamas militants to release the hostages.
Pope Francis Expresses Regret Over War in Gaza Affecting Church Sanctuary
Pope Francis condemned the killing of two Christian women by the Israeli army while they sought refuge in a church, labeling Israel's actions as 'terrorism'. This incident highlights the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Pope's increasing vocal criticism of the violence affecting civilians. The situation raises significant concerns about the impact of military actions on non-combatants and religious sanctuaries.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Pope Francis expressed regret over the deaths of two Christian women killed by the Israeli army while seeking refuge in a church in Gaza. He condemned the actions as terrorism and highlighted the plight of civilians in the ongoing conflict.
- Two Christian women were killed by Israeli forces while seeking safety in a church.
- Pope Francis has increasingly used the term 'terrorism' to describe the violence in Gaza.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long history marked by violence and humanitarian crises, particularly in Gaza, where military operations often result in civilian casualties.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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