(LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican’s Secretary of State has spoken out about the prolonged war in Gaza.
In an interview with Vatican News on Monday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin accused Israel of disproportionately punishing Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel by Hamas.
“Those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate [defense] must respect the principle of proportionality,” stated Cardinal Parolin.
“I am struck and deeply afflicted by the daily death toll in Palestine—dozens, sometimes hundreds, every day—so many children whose only fault seems to be having been born there.”
Last month the death toll in Gaza passed 65,000, many of whom are civilians. The United Nations recently designated several of Israel’s actions as constituting genocide according to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The report also accused several Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of inciting genocide.
Parolin continued, “We risk becoming desensitized to this carnage! People killed while trying to find a piece of bread, buried under the rubble of their homes, bombed in hospitals, in tent camps, displaced and forced to move from one end of that narrow, overcrowded territory to another… It is unacceptable and unjustifiable to reduce human beings to mere “collateral damage.”
READ: Millions of Italians protest Israeli conduct in Gaza, shutting down services nationwide
On September 21, Pope Leo XIV addressed the carnage in Gaza during the Angelus address, reiterating the same concerns as the Secretary of State. During his address, the Pope acknowledged the representatives from the Gaza Strip in attendance and reaffirmed his call for peace and an end to the suffering that is prevalent in the region.
“Together with you and with the Pastors of the Churches in the Holy Land, I repeat—there is no future based on violence, forced exile, or revenge,” said Pope Leo. “The people need peace; those who truly love them work for peace.”
Cardinal Parolin then issued a final appeal to the war-torn region of Gaza.
“I can only repeat the very clear words spoken by Pope Leo XIV on July 20: ‘I renew my appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and to respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population,” stated Parolin.
“These are words that are still waiting to be welcomed and understood.”