Pope Condemns Violence by Israel and Hamas

Pope condemns Gaza violence after aide angers Jews
08 Jan 2009 11:42:03 GMT
Source: Reuters (original article)
By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Thursday condemned the use of violence by Israel and Hamas Islamists in Gaza a day after one of his senior aides angered Jews by calling the strip "a big concentration camp".

"Once again I would repeat that military options are no solution and that violence, wherever it comes from and whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned," he said in a speech to diplomats from some 170 countries accredited to the Vatican.

In the French-language speech about the world situation, he lamented "a renewed outbreak of violence provoking immense damage and suffering for the civilian population" and urged "the rejection of hatred, acts of provocation and the use of arms".

While the pope seemed at pains to make his speech diplomatically even-handed -- calling for the respect of the legitimate aspirations of both sides -- one of his senior aides was not so delicate with his comments about the siege of Gaza.

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