Gaza, Israel's anger with the Pope: "Don't deny the right to defend"

The Vatican condemns the violence: "Urgent ceasefire needed"

The Holy See spokesman: "The use of weapons is always unacceptable"

Tensions escalate between Israel and the Holy See after Pope Francis's appeal for an end to the violence in Gaza. "We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening in the Holy Land," said the Pope during the Angelus prayer on Sunday. "The spiral of death must stop, the roar of weapons must be silenced."

Israel's reaction was immediate and harsh. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid accused the Pope of "moral equivalence" between the aggressor and the victim. "Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist organizations that fire missiles indiscriminately at our civilians," Lapid said. "The Pope cannot ignore this fundamental right."

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, reiterated the Holy See's condemnation of the violence and called for an "urgent ceasefire." "The use of weapons is always unacceptable, especially against civilians," Bruni said. "The protection of human life must be the priority."

The tension between Israel and the Holy See is not new. In 2014, the Vatican criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza, which killed over 2,000 Palestinians. The Holy See also criticized the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The current escalation of violence in Gaza has raised new concerns about the protection of civilians. According to the United Nations, at least 192 Palestinians, including 58 children, have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes. On the Israeli side, 10 people, including two children, have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza.

The international community is calling for an end to the violence. The United Nations Security Council has held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation, but so far no concrete steps have been taken to stop the fighting.

The Pope's appeal for peace has been welcomed by some, but it is unclear whether it will have any impact on the ground. Israel has said it will continue its military operation until Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, stops firing rockets into Israel.