(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, stated that the international community applies different standards to Israel’s military actions in Gaza compared with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to remarks delivered during a February 24 meeting of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Legislative Assembly in Italy.
Speaking during an event titled “To continue speaking of peace,” the cardinal observed that many in the region express deep anger toward international institutions such as the UN or U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” which he described on February 7 as a “colonialist” organization. The Italian outlet L’Espresso reported Cardinal Pizzaballa observed that with Gazans there was significant consternation and frustration across the region “because the international community won’t allow Russia to do in Ukraine what it allows Israel to do in Palestine.”
He added that “this is not the time to express great confidence in multilateral international political institutions. This is a tangible reality,” noting his nearly 40 years living in the Holy Land.
Pizzaballa described the ongoing situation in Gaza as a severe humanitarian crisis, with continued attacks on the population and a profound lack of trust between Israelis and Palestinians. He emphasized that “the war, from a political and social point of view, is not concluded,” and that “the hatred this war has created is profound,” making discussions of reconstruction challenging.
The Latin Patriarch called for rebuilding peace from the grassroots level through social and religious organizations, urging constructive dissent rather than acquiescence. “We must give disturbance. We must say that not everything that is done and said is shareable, but in a constructive way, offering alternatives,” he said.
The cardinal has previously voiced strong concerns about the Gaza conflict. In July 2025, after a visit to a damaged church in the territory, he described Israel’s policy there as “unacceptable and morally unjustifiable,” citing blocks on food and medical aid as a “sentence” for starving Palestinians and warning against forced displacement. In September 2025, he characterized the military situation as a “disaster” leading to “human devastation” and the “brutalization of mutual relations,” deeming a two-state solution “less and less real.”
The Emilia-Romagna assembly event also featured Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops’ conference and archbishop of Bologna who marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zuppi expressed hope for an end to the suffering and called for stronger European efforts in humanitarian aid and dialogue, including prisoner exchanges, locating missing persons, and addressing the plight of children.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU/OHCHR), as of 31 January, approximately 15,172 (including at least 766 children) have been killed in the Ukraine War, which is entering its fourth year after it began in early 2022.
Meanwhile, since the start of the Gaza War in late 2023, approximately 73,000 civilians have been killed. The Gaza Health Ministry also claims 56%-80% of deaths are women, children, and elderly.
No immediate response was available from Israeli or international officials regarding the cardinal’s latest comments. The Latin Patriarchate under Pizzaballa has consistently advocated for humanitarian priorities amid the protracted Israel-Hamas war, which began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and has resulted in widespread destruction in Gaza.
