Pope Francis for the first time tackled claims of Israel's ongoing "genocide" of Palestinians in Gaza in extracts from a forthcoming book published Sunday, urging further investigation into whether Israel's actions meet the definition.
Titled "Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World", the book includes his latest and most forthright intervention into the more than year-long war sparked by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.
"According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of genocide," the pontiff wrote in extracts published on the front of Italy's La Stampa daily on Sunday.
"It should be studied carefully to determine whether (the situation) corresponds to the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies," he added.
The Argentine pontiff has frequently deplored the number of victims of Israel's operations in Gaza, with the territory's Hamas-run health ministry putting the toll at least 43,846 people, most of them civilians.
But his call for a probe marks the first time he has publicly used the term genocide -- without endorsing it -- in the context of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory.
Israel's embassy to the Vatican responded later Sunday with a post on X, quoting its ambassador Yaron Sideman.
"There was a genocidal massacre on 7 October 2023 of Israeli citizens, and since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defense against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens," said the statement.
"Any attempt to call it by any other name is singling out the Jewish State."
- 'Pray for peace' -
On the pope's account on X Sunday, he wrote: "Let us #PrayTogether for peace: in martyred Ukraine, in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, and Sudan.
"War dehumanizes, leading us to tolerate unacceptable crimes. May leaders listen to the cry of the people who long for peace."
The new book by the pope comes out Tuesday in Italy, Spain and Latin America, with other releases elsewhere due later.
On Thursday, a United Nations Special Committee judged Israel's conduct of warfare in Gaza "consistent with the characteristics of genocide", accusing the country of "using starvation as a method of war".
Its conclusions have already been condemned by Israel's key backer the United States.
It is, however, not the first time that Israel has been the subject of genocide accusations since the start of the war.
South Africa brought a genocide case before the International Court of Justice with the support of several countries, including Turkey, Spain and Mexico.
Francis has also frequently called for the return of the Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian Islamist militants on October 7.
That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli official figures.
Hamas fighters also took 251 people hostage that day, with 97 still held in the Palestinian territory including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.
On Thursday, the 87-year-old pope received 16 former hostages freed after months of captivity in Gaza.
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