Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Kills 58 Children, Pope Francis: Horrific And Unacceptable

Illustration of the capture of Palestinians by Israel. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency)

JAKARTA - Leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has lamented the many children who were victimized in clashes between Palestinians and Israelis that took place last week.

According to The National News on Monday, May 17, at least 192 people have been killed in the past week in Gaza, in the second-largest clash of the two sides since 2014. That number includes 58 children and 34 women.

In his weekend prayers from the balcony where he used to pray and greet parishioners in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis asked leaders of both sides to stop the armed clashes.

Urging In the Name of God, the Pope called for calm in the Holy Land, after clashes that took place over the past week, leading to a spiral of death and destruction.

"The deaths of dozens of children among them are horrific and unacceptable. Their deaths are a sign that people do not want to build the future, but destroy it", the Pope's critic told Vatican News on Monday, May 17.

The Pope warned that apart from the spiritual risk of death and destruction, the current violence will make fraternal wounds that difficult to heal in coexistence if not immediately ended and returned to dialogue.

To Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Pope Francis asked them to walk the path of peace with the help of the international community.

On that occasion, the Pope relentlessly called for prayers for Israelis and Palestinians, to find a path of dialogue and forgiveness, to patiently build peace and justice, to open step by step, to hope together, to coexist among brothers.

Pope Francis then invited people to pray for the victims of the armed conflict between Palestine and Israel, especially for child victims.

"Let us pray for peace", he exclaimed to then lead the faithful to say, Hail Mary.