Hamas and Israel cannot be likened to
each other, a relative of one of the Israeli hostages being held
in Gaza said after meeting Pope Francis on Wednesday.
"There can be no equivalence between Hamas, which is a terrorist
organisation and shields civilians, and Israel, which defends
civilians," Nadav told reporters at a press conference in Rome.
He was one of 12 relatives of Israeli civilians who were taken
hostage by Hamas during its October 7 attack to meet with the
pope early on Wednesday.
Francis subsequently also met with a delegation of ten
Palestinians, Christians and Muslims, with relatives in Gaza,
before saying in his general audience that "here we have gone
beyond war: this is not war, it is terrorism".
Another Israeli relative, Yehuda, expressed "disappointment"
because Francis allegedly "did not mention Hamas and did not
speak of it as a terrorist organisation".
"He only said that the war must end," he continued, adding that
there had been "no time to tell him our story".
However Yair Rotem, another relative in the delegation, said the
meeting had been "effective".
"He listened to us," he said.
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