Pope Francis: Those bombing Aleppo will 'answer to God'

The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, told an audience that those responsible for killing hundreds of civilians with the bombing of Aleppo will be judged for their crimes.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

28 September, 2016

Pope Francis has condemned what are widely seen as indiscriminate bombing campaigns in Aleppo [AFP]

Pope Francis has said that those responsible for the bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo will ultimately have to "answer before God" for their crimes.

Speaking in front of an audience in Rome's St. Peter's Square, the head of the Roman Catholic Church expressed his "deep pain and serious concern" about ongoing events in Aleppo.

A week of bombing by Syrian regime and Russian warplanes have left hundreds dead, and also led to the breakdown of a fragile truce between rebels and pro-Damascus forces.

"I appeal to the conscience of those responsible for the bombardment, who will have to answer before God," the Pope said.

Among the homes and streets hit by the bombers were two critical hospitals in rebel-held East Aleppo.

Air raids on Wednesday morning rendered both out of service with two patients reportedly killed, and three hospital staff members injured.

Overstretched medical staff in East Aleppo have been left with only six functioning hospitals to treat the hundreds wounded from bombing and sniper fire.

Even before the attack, on Tuesday, Mohammed Abu Rajab, a medic based in East Aleppo, told The New Arab that staff in his hospital were overwhelmed by the influx of new patients, mostly women and children.

"We need blood for operations, and there is a lack of ventilating equipment, it has to be shared between patients. There is no room to treat people, we have to treat people on the floors in the corridors," said Abu Rajab.

Since the collapse of a US-Russian brokered ceasefire for Syria collapsed on 19 September, forces loyal to the Syrian regime have embarked on a new offensive on rebel-held Aleppo.

Intense bombardments of residential areas by Syrian and Russian warplanes have also been accompanied by advances on the ground.

Speaking on attacks on medical facilities in Aleppo, in comments published in AFP, Adham Sahloul, of the Syrian American Medical Society said that if further medical facilities in East Aleppo were rendered out of service there would be devastating medical consequences.

"With these two hospitals gone, if today there is another offensive like Saturday or Sunday, this is signing the death warrant for hundreds of people."

Meanwhile, the Vatican also announced that the pope would not attend the funeral of Israeli statesman Shimon Peres.

He did send a telegram to send his commisserations to the Israeli government.

"As the State of Israel mourns Mr Peres, I hope that his memory and many years of service will inspire us all to work with ever greater urgency for peace and reconciliation between peoples," Francis wrote in a telegram to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.