Pope Francis has said that allegations of a genocide in Gaza should be “carefully investigated” marking some of his strongest criticism yet of Israel’s war in the territory.

While Pope Francis has criticized the war before, this is the first time he has publicly suggested an investigation, according to excerpts from a new book.

The escalation of violence in Gaza has led to a tragic increase in Palestinian casualties, with the latest Israeli airstrike targeting a residential area. As the death toll provided by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry approaches 44,