Pope Francis criticized military attacks that go beyond morality and emphasized the need for proportionate defense in response to a question about Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon. He stated that even in war, there is a morality to safeguard, but war itself is immoral. The pope did not mention Israel by name and said he was speaking in general terms. Last week, he called Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon unacceptable and urged the international community to intervene. He also expressed concern for the conditions and cruelty experienced by Palestinians in Gaza.