Pope Francis on Saturday complained about the “appalling increase in attacks on Jews around the world” and the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism since the Oct. 7 war between Israel and Hamas, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Pope FrancisPhoto: Alessandra Tarantino/AP/Profimedia

“We Catholics, together with you, are very concerned about the terrible increase in attacks against Jews all over the world,” the Argentine Pope stressed in a letter addressed to “Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel” released by the Vatican.

The war between Israel and Hamas “has caused divisions in world public opinion that sometimes turn into forms of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism,” the Pope continued.

The Catholic Church “rejects all forms of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, it unequivocally condemns any manifestation of hatred of Jews and Judaism, which is a sin against God,” said the Sovereign Pontiff.

However, the Argentine pope did not forget about the Palestinian people.

“My heart is close to you, to the Holy Land, to all the peoples who inhabit it, Israelis and Palestinians, and I pray that the desire for peace will be stronger in all of them,” the Pope added.

Lamenting “a tragedy similar to the one that has occurred in recent months,” Pope Francis called for “special prayers for the return of the hostages held by Hamas.”

Less than a month ago, the Sovereign Pontiff again condemned “all forms of terrorism and extremism” and called for the “immediate release of all hostages in Gaza.”

Jorge Bergoglio also added that Israel’s “strong military response” has “caused a humanitarian crisis of exceptional gravity and unimaginable suffering.”

The war was sparked by an unprecedented attack on Israeli territory by Hamas commandos from neighboring Gaza on October 7, killing more than 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to AFP, based on official Israeli figures.

In response to the attack, Israel vowed to “destroy” Hamas, which seized power in Gaza in 2007, and launched a military offensive that killed 27,238 people, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the latest health ministry figures in Saturday .