Hawzah News Agency- Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, tackling the issue for the first time in excerpts from an upcoming book.

“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in excerpts published on 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.

The book, by Hernan 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 yearlong jubilee, which is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate.

The Argentine pontiff has frequently deplored the number of victims of Israel’s war in Gaza, where the death toll stands at 43,846 people, most of them civilians, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.

But his call for a probe marks the first time he has publicly used the term “genocide”, albeit without endorsing its use, in the context of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.