Pope Francis on Wednesday denounced the “terrible escalation” in Lebanon, calling it “unacceptable” and calling on the international community to do all it can to put an end to it.
“I am saddened by the news coming from Lebanon, where intense bombardments in recent days have caused numerous victims and destruction, and I hope that the international community will make every effort to put an end to this terrible escalation. This is unacceptable”, declared the Pope at the end of the general audience.
Since Monday, intense Israeli strikes have targeted the strongholds of Hezbollah, the powerful pro-Iranian Islamist movement, in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as in the southern suburbs of Beirut, killing several hundred people, according to the Lebanese authorities, and driving hundreds of thousands of Lebanese onto the roads.
For its part, Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it had fired a ballistic missile at Israel, claiming to have targeted the headquarters of Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service, near Tel Aviv, a first according to the Israeli army.
“I express my support for the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past”, added Francis, calling for prayers ‘for all peoples suffering because of war’.
With AFP
