Gaza Strip is a concentration camp, says Vatican
From correspondents in Rome | January 08, 2009
Article from: Agence France-Presse THE Gaza Strip has been turned into a "concentration camp" by two weeks of Israeli bombardments, said a senior Vatican official.
Cardinal Renato Martino, the Vatican's justice and peace minister, was quoted by the online Italian daily Il Sussidiario.
"Let's look at the conditions in Gaza: these increasingly resemble a big concentration camp," said Cardinal Martino.
Cardinal Martino said it was in neither parties interest to carry on fighting and urged both to show more willingness to hold peace talks.
"If they can't come to an agreement, then someone else should do it (for them). The world cannot sit back and watch without doing anything.
"We Christians are not the only ones to call this land 'holy', Jews and Muslims do so too. The fact that this land is the scene of bloodshed seems a great tragedy," he added.
Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed almost 700 Palestinians, including 220 children, and injured 3000 since December 27, according to Gaza medics.
Aid agencies have declared a total humanitarian crisis in Gaza, owing to the ailing stocks of basic food, water and medical supplies.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24886733-12377,00.html Same story, different news organizations, Reuters and BBC:
Vatican cardinal calls Gaza "big concentration camp"
Wed Jan 7, 2009 8:38pm GMT ROME (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's point man for justice and peace issues on Wednesday issued the Vatican's toughest criticism of Israel since the latest Mideast crisis began, calling Gaza a "big concentration camp."
Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, made his comments in an interview in the Italian online newspaper Il Sussidiario.net.
"Defenceless populations are always the ones who pay. Look at the conditions in Gaza: more and more, it resembles a big concentration camp," Martino, whose informal title is Vatican "justice minister," was quoted as saying.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE5066OA20090107Vatican deplores Gaza situation The Pope's justice minister, Cardinal Renato Martino, has sharply criticised Israel's actions and likened the Gaza Strip to a "big concentration camp".
Correspondents say his words mark the Vatican's toughest comments since Israel began its offensive with intensive air attacks 12 days ago.
He accused both sides of only thinking of their own interests while innocent people paid the price.
Pope Benedict XVI has already called for an end to the conflict.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7817019.stm