Pope Francis has said that allegations of a genocide in Gaza should be “carefully investigated” marking some of his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s war in the territory.

The escalation of violence in Gaza has led to a tragic increase in Palestinian casualties, with the latest Israeli airstrike targeting a residential area. As the death toll provided by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry approaches 44,

Francis has not previously described the situation in Gaza as a genocide in public. But last year he was at the centre of a messy dispute after a meeting with a group of Palestinians at the Vatican, who insisted he had used the word with them in private, while the Vatican said he had not.

Pope Francis called for an investigation into whether Israel's military actions in Gaza legally constitute genocide, according to a book due out this week. Why it matters: The pope has previously criticized Israel's attacks on Gaza as "immoral" and disproportionate,

ROME, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has suggested the global community should study whether Israel's military campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people, in some of his most explicit criticism yet of Israel's conduct in its year-long war.

Pope Francis met a delegation of Israeli hostages freed by Hamas at the Vatican on Thursday (November 14). Some held pictures of loved ones who remain in captivity.

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