Vatican: Cardinal Parolin surprised by situation in Gaza

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Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he was surprised by what was happening in Gaza, "despite worldwide condemnation," in remarks made Monday night on the sidelines of an event in Naples.

"We are shocked by what is happening in Gaza, despite worldwide condemnation. There is unanimous condemnation of what is happening ," the Italian cardinal emphasized.

Responding to journalists' questions about Monday's Israeli bombing of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, he added: "It's absurd. There seems to be no sign of a solution."

The cardinal also said that "the situation is becoming increasingly complicated and, from a humanitarian point of view, increasingly precarious."

Regarding the war in Ukraine , the cardinal stated that “ a lot of politics is needed , because there are many theoretical solutions” and “there are many paths to peace, but we must want to put them into practice and, obviously, a spiritual disposition is also necessary.”

“Hope is necessary for everyone,” Parolin declared, emphasizing that the Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Francis, dedicated precisely to this issue, “must be a time to recover hope.”

“Even today, given the difficulty of initiating peace processes in conflict situations, we must not give up and must continue to work for peace and reconciliation,” he added.

Israel bombed Nasser Hospital on Monday, and when journalists and first responders arrived to help victims and document the incident, it bombed it again, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, in a technique known as a “double hit.”