Pope Francis calls for investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute 'genocide'

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released Sunday from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff's jubilee year.

It's the first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. In September, he said Israel's attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been “immoral” and disproportionate, and that its military has gone beyond the rules of war.

The book, by Hernán Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with the Pope, is entitled “Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world." It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope's 2025 jubilee. Francis’ yearlong jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate the Holy Year.

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in excerpts published Sunday by the Italian daily La Stampa.

“We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he added.

Last year, Francis met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “terrorism” and, according to the Palestinians, “genocide.”

Francis spoke at the time about the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians after his meetings, which were arranged before the Israeli-Hamas hostage deal and a temporary halt in fighting was announced.

The pontiff, who last week also met with a delegation of Israeli hostages who were released and their families pressing the campaign to bring the remaining captives home had editorial control over the upcoming book.

The war started when the militant Hamas group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 as hostages and taking them back to Gaza, where dozens still remain.

Israel’s subsequent yearlong military campaign has killed more than 43,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, whose count doesn’t distinguish between civilians and fighters, though they say more than half of the dead are women and children.

The Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza has triggered several legal cases at international courts in The Hague involving requests for arrest warrants as well as accusations and denials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

In the new book, Francis also speaks about migration and the problem of integrating migrants in their host countries.

“Faced with this challenge, no country can be left alone and no one can think of addressing the issue in isolation through more restrictive and repressive laws, sometimes approved under the pressure of fear or in search of electoral advantages,” Francis said.

“On the contrary, just as we see that there is a globalization of indifference, we must respond with the globalization of charity and cooperation,” he added. Francis also mentioned the “still open wound of the war in Ukraine has led thousands of people to abandon their homes, especially during the first months of the conflict.”

Pope Francis looks at the cross as he presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis holds the cross as he presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A view of St. Peter's Basilica as Pope Francis presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Abel Eduardo Balbo, former soccer player from Argentina, reads during a mass presided by Pope Francis on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A priest carries Pope Francis skull-cap as he presides over a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Pope Francis delivers his speech during a mass on the occasion of the World Day of the Poor in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

LEVI, Finland (AP) — Olympic champion Clement Noel posted the fastest time in the opening run of the first men’s World Cup slalom of the season on Sunday, and record eight-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher failed to qualify for the second run.

Noel overcame what looked like a costly mistake when he had to brake in the steep middle section of the Levi Black course and edged out Swiss allrounder Loic Meillard by 0.02 seconds.

Noel's French teammate Steven Amiez was 0.21 behind in third.

“It was tough, the snow is difficult — sometimes there’s grip, sometimes no grip,” Noel said. “I hope I can do a better second run, I had quite a few mistakes in the first."

Noel is seeking his 11th career World Cup win and first since triumphing at a night race in Austria in January 2023 — his sole victory since winning Olympic gold in Beijing.

Meillard, who missed the season-opening giant slalom three weeks ago after tweaking his back during warmups, was the runner-up to Swiss teammate Marco Odermatt in the overall standings last season.

Odermatt does not compete in slaloms.

Manuel Feller, the defending World Cup slalom champion, had 1.18 second to make up in the second run later Sunday.

Hirscher, a three-time winner in Levi, finished 2.59 off the lead and outside the top 30 in his first slalom race in 2,072 days.

The Austrian great, now starting for the Netherlands, returned to World Cup racing this season after his retirement in 2019.

“The first gates I thought that’s going nicely but then it relatively quickly turned into one of the worst slalom runs of my life,” Hirscher said.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, another racer coming back and starting for Brazil since leaving the Norwegian federation a year ago, started 33rd but finished 0.86 behind in 10th.

Finnish skier Eduard Hallberg, wearing bib 40, pleased the home crowd by posting the eighth-fastest time, six tenths behind leader Noel, in only his fourth race at the World Cup level.

While Levi is an annual stop on the women’s World Cup circuit, with Mikaela Shiffrin winning on Saturday, the men had not raced in Finnish Lapland since 2019.

Switzerland's Loic Meillard speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Brazil' Lucas Braathen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Netherland's Marcel Hirscher speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

France's Clement Noel speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Levi, Finland, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)