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Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File

Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. - Pope Francis is leading holy mass at the Sir Guise Stadium during his four day visit to Papua New Guinea from September 6-9. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

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Pope Francis

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1731864498830AFP__20240907__36FT6B8__v3__Preview__TopshotPngVaticanPopeReligion.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pope Francis looks down as he leads holy mass at Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 8, 2024. <em>Tiziana Fabi, AFP/File</em></span></span></span>VATICAN CITY, Holy See -- Pope Francis for the first time tackled claims of Israel&#x27;s ongoing &quot;genocide&quot; of Palestinians in Gaza in a forthcoming book, urging further investigation into whether Israel&#x27;s actions meet the definition.</div><p>Titled &quot;Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World&quot;, the book includes his latest and most forthright intervention into the more than year-long war sparked by Hamas&#x27;s October 7 attack on Israel.</p><p>&quot;According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide,&quot; the pontiff wrote in extracts published on Sunday in Italy&#x27;s La Stampa daily.</p><p>&quot;This should be studied carefully to determine whether (the situation) corresponds to the technical definition formulated by jurists and international organizations,&quot; he added.</p><p>The Argentine pontiff has frequently deplored the number of victims of Israel&#x27;s operations in Gaza, with the territory&#x27;s Hamas-run health ministry putting the toll at least 43,846 people, most of them civilians.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/11/17/israel-hits-gaza-and-lebanon-in-deadly-strikes-1804">READ: Israel hits Gaza and Lebanon in deadly strikes</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/11/16/israel-pummels-south-beirut-as-lebanon-mulls-truce-plan-2219">READ: Israel pummels south Beirut as Lebanon mulls truce plan</a></div><p>But his call for a probe marks the first time he has publicly used the term genocide -- without endorsing it -- in the context of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory.</p><p>On Thursday, a United Nations Special Committee judged Israel&#x27;s conduct of warfare in Gaza &quot;consistent with the characteristics of genocide&quot;, accusing the country of &quot;using starvation as a method of war&quot;.</p><p>Its conclusions have already been condemned by Israel&#x27;s key backer the United States.</p><p>It is, however, not the first time that Israel has been the subject of genocide accusations since the start of the war.</p><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABQeQfqt_MHOU4Kc&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script></div><p>South Africa has brought a genocide case before the International Court of Justice with the support of several countries, including Turkey, Spain and Mexico.</p><p>Francis has also frequently called for the return of the Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian Islamist militants on October 7.</p><p>That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli official figures.</p><p>Hamas fighters also took 251 people hostage that day, with 97 still held in the Palestinian territory including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.</p><p>On Thursday, the 87-year-old pope received 16 former hostages freed after months of captivity in Gaza.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Pope Francis for the first time tackled claims of Israel's ongoing "genocide" of Palestinians in Gaza in a forthcoming book, urging further investigation into whether Israel's actions meet the definition.</p>

Pope Francis for the first time tackled claims of Israel's ongoing "genocide" of Palestinians in Gaza in a forthcoming book, urging further investigation into whether Israel's actions meet the definition.

Pope calls for Gaza 'genocide' investigation

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Pope calls for Gaza 'genocide' investigation

Agence France-Presse

Published November 18, 2024 01:52 AM PHT

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