Vatican City – The Vatican on Monday condemned the killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank as a “hideous and unacceptable crime” and a obstacle to peace.
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In an unusually strong statement, the Vatican spokesman said Pope Francis, who visited Israel and the Palestinian territories in April, was united with the families of the victims who were suffering “unspeakable pain”.
“The killing of innocent people is always a hideous and unacceptable crime, a grave obstacle on the path towards peace …,” Father Federico Lombardi said, calling the news of the deaths “terrible and dramatic”.
The three missing teenagers were found in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces after a nearly three-week-long search and a sweep against the Islamist Hamas group that Israel says abducted them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned his security cabinet for a special session that could decide on stronger military moves against Hamas, which has neither confirmed nor denied the Israeli allegations.
The Vatican has the guts to make the tough statement that the White House is incapable of uttering.
Quite a change from the Vatican since their silence from 1938-1945.
Unbelievable, we heard from the Pope but still no word from our Trayvon Martin advocating president
Glad the Pope made the statements but it should have been said way earlier, or did the Pope, like the UN, think they were missing, not kidnapped? The UN has not said a word. Did they say anything when the Boston Marathon runners were bombed? They really thing their cause is justification to have children without limbs? The UN seemed to think so, and so it continues. UN fans it as they have no sympathy with blameless harmless kids.