The Israeli Embassy to the Holy See has defined as “regrettable” remarks by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, saying that Israel’s attacks on Gaza have been excessive.
Cardinal Parolin, speaking to reporters on 13th February, said the Vatican continues its “clear and unreserved condemnation of what happened on 7th October” when Hamas militants entered Israel, massacred civilians and took more than 200 hostages.
The Vatican also continues its “clear and unreserved condemnation of all forms of antisemitism,” the cardinal told reporters after a meeting with top Italian government officials. At the same time, the cardinal said, the Vatican also “requests that the right to defend itself that Israel has invoked to justify this operation be proportionate, and certainly with 30,000 dead it is not.”
An unsigned statement on 14th February from the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See said: “This is a regrettable statement. Judging the legitimacy of a war without taking into account ALL relevant circumstances and data inevitably leads to erroneous conclusions.” For example, the statement said, “Gaza has been transformed by Hamas into the largest terrorist base ever seen. There is hardly any civilian infrastructure that has not been used by Hamas for its criminal plans, including hospitals, schools, places of worship and many others.”
Picture: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)