Pope Francis on Wednesday again related to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, using his traditional Christmas message to call for peace in the Middle East, while also mentioning Ukraine and Sudan, AFP reported.
Speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope called for “the doors of dialogue and peace [to] be flung open” in the Middle East conflict.
“I think of the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave,” he said, as quoted by AFP. “May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war.”
The pope has recently made controversial comments related to the Gaza war, which have resulted in him being criticized in Israel and by Jewish communities abroad.
On Sunday, Pope Francis reiterated his condemnation of Israel’s strikes on the Gaza Strip, denouncing what he described the "cruelty" of the attacks for the second time in as many days.
"And with pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of schools and hospitals. What cruelty," the pope said to those gathered at the Vatican.
Similar remarks made by the pope on Saturday were followed by criticism from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
A spokesperson said Pope Francis’ comments were "particularly disappointing as they are disconnected from the true and factual context of Israel's fight against jihadist terrorism -- a multi-front war that was forced upon it starting on October 7."
"Enough with the double standards and the singling out of the Jewish state and its people," the spokesperson added.
In November of last year, Jewish groups criticized Pope Francis after he appeared to accuse both Israel and Hamas of “terrorism” in the war that started after Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7.
“This is what wars do,” the pope said at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square. “But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism.”
Rabbi David Lau, then the Chief Rabbi of Israel, later wrote a letter to Pope Francis in which he called on the Pontiff to retract his comments.
In September, the pope decried the deaths of children in Israeli military strikes in Gaza while expressing doubt that Israel and Hamas are seeking an end to the war between them.
He also said that "sometimes I think it's a war that is too much, too much".
More recently, remarks attributed to Francis in a newly released book suggested that the global community should examine whether Israel's ongoing campaign in Gaza could be classified as a genocide.
After being criticized for those remarks, the pope claimed that his words had been misunderstood and were taken out of context.