Pope says ‘dialogue and reconciliation’ needed after deadly week in Gaza
At Sunday mass, pontiff notes ‘heartrending’ situation in Palestinian enclave after 64 reported killed in border clashes
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Pope Francis said Sunday that “gestures of dialogue and reconciliation” were needed for the Holy Land and all the Middle East, days after violent protests along the Gaza border reportedly saw 64 Palestinians killed.
He told faithful in St. Peter’s Square Sunday he had “united himself spiritually” to a prayer vigil held Saturday in Jerusalem, which, he noted, is holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Earlier, during Mass Sunday, Francis cited the “heartrending” situation in Gaza and prayed that hearts be changed so peace arrives.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Saturday the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces during border clashes earlier in the week had risen to 64, with more than 2,700 wounded in the violent protests timed to coincide with the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem Monday.
Hamas has admitted that 50 of the dead were members of the terrorist group. Three others were Islamic Jihad members.
Earlier in the week, Francis said he was “very worried” by escalating violence in the region and called for “dialogue, justice and peace.”
Francis has on several occasions expressed support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, indirectly criticizing US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem and the moving of its embassy there on Monday deeply angered Palestinians, who seek the city’s eastern half as the capital of their future state.
The weeks-long campaign against Israel along the Gaza border was scheduled to end after the US embassy move, but Hamas leaders have said they want them to continue. About 1,000 protesters took part in demonstrations Friday.
The Palestinian deaths during the protests were met with international outrage. Israel says that some of those killed were involved in planting explosives or firing on soldiers and that Hamas was using the border protests as cover to stage terror attacks.
On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation into the killings. Israel said it would not cooperate, and the US blocked the measure and castigated the move as “shameful.”
The Times of Israel Community.