The Israeli Foreign Ministry has called in the Vatican’s ambassador following Pope Francis‘s remarks regarding the “cruelty” of airstrikes in Gaza, as reported by several Israeli media outlets on Wednesday.

Ynet, a news website, indicated that Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana met with Foreign Ministry Director General Eyal Bar-Tal on Tuesday. While Bar-Tal expressed disapproval of the pope’s comments, he did not issue a formal reprimand to Yllana, according to the reports.

The pope reiterated his plea for a ceasefire in Gaza as Christmas approaches, emphasizing the high number of civilian casualties resulting from Israeli airstrikes.

“This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart,” he stated, as reported by Reuters.

Last month, Vatican News mentioned that the pontiff had written in an upcoming book that claims of genocide by the Israeli army against Palestinians “should be carefully investigated.”

In response, West Jerusalem has rejected the genocide allegations, asserting that the Palestinian militant group Hamas is using civilians as human shields. The Foreign Ministry stated last month, “Cruelty is terrorists hiding behind children while trying to murder Israeli children; cruelty is holding 100 hostages for 442 days, including a baby and children, by terrorists and abusing them.”

Israeli diplomats expressed disappointment, stating, “Regrettably, the pope has opted to overlook all of this.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that military operations in Gaza will persist until Israel neutralizes the threat posed by Hamas.

Since October 2023, local authorities and the UN report that over 45,000 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza, with nearly 90% of the enclave’s population displaced.

The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and its allies launched a surprise assault on Israeli cities, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and the abduction of over 200 hostages. It is estimated that around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza.