This came during his traditional Sunday prayer from the window of his office overlooking St. Peter's Square, during which the Pope spoke about the situation in Gaza.
"I am following with deep concern the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, where hunger is crushing the civilian population, which continues to be subjected to violence and death," the Pope said, renewing his call for "a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and full respect for humanitarian law."
"violates international law"
For his part, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Israeli occupation is clearly violating international law by withholding aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip.
"The images of suffering in Gaza are absolutely indefensible," Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Sunday, stressing that international law stipulates that innocent people cannot be held responsible for conflicts.
Albanese explained that there are rules of engagement, the most important of which is to prevent the loss of innocent lives. He added that he is not a lawyer and that he will let any official decisions regarding violations of international law take their course. However, he emphasized that everything everyone sees is a clear violation of humanity and morality.
The Australian Prime Minister indicated that his country does not intend to recognize a Palestinian state soon, as France announced this week, but stressed that he is open to taking this step if appropriate guarantees are provided regarding the viability of such a state. He noted that a two-state solution will require arrangements for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as a resolution to the settlement issue.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history, with a severe famine intertwined with a genocidal war waged by Israel since October 7, 2023.
With the complete closure of crossings and the ban on the entry of food and medicine since March 2, famine has spread throughout the Gaza Strip, and symptoms of severe malnutrition have appeared among children and patients.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, released on Sunday, the death toll from famine and malnutrition since October 7, 2023, has risen to 133 Palestinians, including 87 children.
This comes at a time when Israel, with US support, is waging a war of genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the campaign.
The genocide, with American support, left more than 204,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 9,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a famine that claimed the lives of many.
