In his annual Christmas message, Pope Francis briefly described the Israeli genocide in Gaza as an "appalling harvest" of civilians. 

He then opted to reiterate his dismissive stance on the events of October 7 and called for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza. 

In a speech to thousands of people in the Vatican's St. Basilica, he said, "How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world? In their mothers’ wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and search of hope, and in the lives of all those little ones whose childhood has been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today."

"May peace come in Israel and Palestine, where war is devastating the lives of those people. I embrace them all, particularly the Christian communities of Gaza and the entire Holy Land."

"I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by opening the provision of humanitarian aid."

He also advocated for peace in war-fallen countries, such as Ukraine, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

We are close to our brothers and sisters who suffer due to war: let us think of Palestine, Israel, Ukraine. Let us also recall those suffering from poverty, hunger, and slavery. May God, who took on a human heart, make our hearts more humane!

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) December 24, 2023

The Pope's underwhelming 'solidarity' with Gaza

The Pope has previously called for peace in Gaza, merely, and in a manner that undermines the suffering of Palestinians, and in collective statements that call for the safety of the captives held in Gaza. 

For example, in a call for a permanent ceasefire, the Pope explained that failure to establish one means more death and destruction in Gaza. He then stated, "Many hostages have been freed but so many others are still in Gaza." 

However, the pontiff did not refer to the thousands of Palestinians, many of whom are women and children, who, according to freed Palestinian prisoners, face inhumane and difficult circumstances as they are tortured and stripped of their most basic rights and are left in Israeli occupation prisons to their fate. 

Read more: Chief Israeli Rabbi demands Pope to retract 'terrorism' remarks