---
title: "Ramping up criticism of Israel, Pope calls situation in Gaza 'shameful'"
description: "VATICAN CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave \"very serious and shameful\"."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Middle East conflict"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-09-ramping-up-criticism-of-israel-pope-calls-situation-in-gaza-shameful/"
published: "2025-01-09T12:16:41"
updated: "2025-01-09T12:16:42"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 277
---

# Ramping up criticism of Israel, Pope calls situation in Gaza 'shameful'

> VATICAN CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday stepped up his recent criticisms of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful".

By Reuters · Published 9 January 2025, 14:16 SAST · Updated 9 January 2025, 14:16 SAST

## Key points
- In a cold-hearted world where children freeze and hospitals crumble, Pope Francis has traded his usual diplomatic caution for a fiery condemnation of the Israeli bombardment, urging the global community to confront the chilling reality of potential genocide against Palestinians, all while he himself is bundled up and recovering from a sniffle.
- Pope Francis, addressing diplomats, condemned the bombing of civilians and highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where winter cold is causing deaths.
- He criticized the destruction of hospitals and energy networks, which has left children freezing.
- The pontiff, typically neutral in conflicts, has recently called for scrutiny of Israel's military actions against Hamas, suggesting potential genocide.
- The ongoing Israeli-Hamas war has resulted in significant civilian casualties, with over 45,000 reported deaths in Gaza since the conflict escalated in October 2023.

## Content

In a yearly address to diplomats delivered on his behalf by an aide, Francis appeared to reference [deaths](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3NV07O&linkedFromStory=true) caused by winter cold in Gaza, where there is [almost no electricity](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3IM0JK&linkedFromStory=true).

"We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians," the text said.

"We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country's energy network has been hit."

The pope, 88, was present for the address but asked an aide to read it for him as he is recovering from a cold.

The comments were part of an address to Vatican-accredited envoys from some 184 countries that is sometimes called the pope's 'state of the world' speech. The Israeli ambassador to the Holy See was among those present for the event.

Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, is usually careful about taking sides in conflicts.

But he has recently been [more outspoken](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3NC13B&linkedFromStory=true) about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas, and has [suggested](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3MO03K&linkedFromStory=true) the global community should study whether the offensive constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people.

An Israeli government minister [publicly denounced](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3NL0A6&linkedFromStory=true) the pontiff in December for that suggestion.

The Israeli-Hamas war began when Hamas-led Palestinian militants attacked southern Israeli communities on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's retaliatory campaign, which it says is aimed at eliminating Hamas, has killed more than 45,000 people, mostly civilians, said authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. The campaign has displaced nearly the entire population and left much of the enclave in ruins.

(Reporting by Joshua McElweeEditing by Keith Weir)