Pope Leo decries ‘forced exile’ of Gaza civilians

Pope Leo spoke out against the forced displacement of Gaza civilians on Sunday as Israel intensified its military demolition campaign in the Palestinian enclave’s main city.

“Together with the pastors of the churches in the Holy Land, I repeat that there is no future based on violence, forced exile, and revenge,” the Pope said during his weekly Angelus prayer.

The Holy Land encompasses parts of modern-day Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Egypt, that are sacred to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Leo’s role in advocating for peace in Gaza has become starker since Israel struck the territory’s only Catholic church in July.

“The peoples need peace. Those who truly love them work for peace,” the first pope from the United States added.

In recent days, Israel has been urging hundreds of thousands of Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City to move south to what it calls a humanitarian zone and opened another corridor south of Gaza City for two days this week to allow more people to evacuate.

Palestinians have streamed out of the city by car and on foot. But many in the famine-stricken city are unwilling to be uprooted again, too weak to leave or unable to afford the cost of moving.

Aid groups have warned that forcing thousands of people to evacuate will exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis. They are appealing for a ceasefire so aid can reach those who need it.

Families of hostages still held by Hamas accused Netanyahu of condemning their loved ones to death by continuing to fight rather than negotiate an end to the war.

“The blood of our loved ones is, for him, nothing more than a political tool to cling to power,” they said in a statement read outside Netanyahu’s residence. “As long as there is war, Netanyahu has a government.”

Hanna Cohen, whose niece Inbar Hayman was kidnapped and killed in captivity and whose remains are still in Gaza, said: “It’s hard to believe another Rosh Hashanah (Jewish new year) is coming and our Inbar isn’t with us.

“There is no greater pain than parents who lose a child in such a cruel way and don’t even have a grave to visit.”

Speaking at the Jerusalem protest, freed hostage Iair Horn asked: “What kind of country will we be if we abandon our own? What happens to our nation if we’re willing to sacrifice the hostages?”

Agencies