Vatican slams 'Israel' for massacre of defenseless Gazans

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 15:45

The Vatican’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, condemned “Israel” for its ongoing massacre in Gaza, urging global action and an end to arms shipments fueling the genocide.

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrives in St. Peter's Basilica to attend a mass on the eight of nine days of mourning for late Pope Francis, at the Vatican, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

The Vatican has strongly denounced "Israel" for targeting defenseless Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as the world continues to fail in stopping the “ongoing massacre” against the besieged population.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and top diplomat, made the remarks on the second anniversary of Operation al-Aqsa Flood, the large-scale retaliatory operation launched by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Since then, "Israel’s" military campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, and devastated Gaza’s civil, medical, and humanitarian infrastructure, while spreading unprecedented famine throughout the enclave.

“The war waged by the Israeli army to eliminate Hamas disregards the fact that it is targeting a largely defenseless population, already pushed to the brink, in an area where buildings and homes are reduced to rubble,” Parolin said in an interview with Vatican media.

Parolin calls out world’s failure to stop the massacre

Cardinal Parolin condemned the global community’s inability to act, describing it as “powerless” in the face of the atrocities being carried out in Gaza.

“It is clear that the international community is, unfortunately, powerless and that the countries truly capable of exerting influence have so far failed to act to stop the ongoing massacre,” he said.

He urged immediate action to halt Israeli crimes in Gaza and demanded an end to arms shipments that enable the occupation’s assault.

“It’s not enough to say that what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable and then continue to allow it to happen,” he added. “We must seriously ask ourselves about the legitimacy of continuing to supply weapons that are being used against civilians.”

Pope Leo’s continued criticism of 'Israel'

Pope Leo, who succeeded the late Pope Francis in May, has been increasingly vocal in condemning "Israel’s" actions in Gaza.

During a meeting with the occupation’s president, Isaac Herzog, in September, Pope Leo called for the immediate facilitation of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians.

He has also criticized the political and military support enabling Israeli crimes in Gaza, calling on the international community to protect Palestinians and uphold human rights.

Global scholars confirm genocide in Gaza

Last month, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) issued a resolution declaring that "Israel’s" atrocities in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

The IAGS resolution outlined that "Israel’s" actions in Gaza violate all five conditions of the Convention, confirming what humanitarian groups have described as one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in modern history.