Pope Francis and Palestine: The Pontiff spoke out in support of Gaza during the war

Pope Francis wielded enormous global influence and his words often resonated beyond the Church. That's why his comments on Israel's war on Gaza were so significant. They marked a sharp break from the Vatican's historically cautious stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Pope Francis condemned attacks on civilians and directly criticised Israel, using words like 'terrorism' and 'genocide' – remarks that quickly drew backlash from Israel and its supporters. Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi reports. Xavier Abu Eid, a political scientist and former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, says Palestinians have lost a dear friend with the death of Francis, whom he describes as a staunch defender of their right to self-determination. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #PopeFrancis #PopeFrancisDies #PopeFrancisLegacy #Palestine #PopeFrancisAndPalestine #Gaza #GazaWar #AlJazeeraEnglish