The Guardian reports:Pope Francis has faced criticism for allegedly drawing equivalence between Israel and Hamas.

During a general audience after meeting with Israeli and Palestinian delegations at the Vatican, the pope reportedly remarked, “They suffer so much, I heard how they both suffer.”

This statement referred to testimonies brought by the Israeli group, who shared their experiences of having relatives taken hostage by Hamas during the 7 October attacks, as well as the Palestinians with family members living in the targeted enclave.

Continuing his remarks, Pope Francis stated:

Wars do this, but here we have gone beyond war: this is not war, it is terrorism.

In response, members of the Israeli delegation expressed their discontent, citing that there could be no comparison between Hamas, an organisation that employs civilians as shields, and Israel, which defends civilians. [Continue reading…]