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                     Pope deplores Gaza violence - Military option 'not a solution' says Benedict






 (ANSA)
- Vatican City,
January 8, 2009

- Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday deplored the violence in Gaza, saying that the military option was not a solution for Israel or the Palestine Islamist group Hamas.

The pope's comments came a day after his pointman for peace and justice, Cardinal Renato Martino, angered Israel by calling Gaza ''a concentration camp''.

Israel responded Wednesday night by accusing Martino of using the same kind of language as Hamas.

The pope was speaking Thursday to 177 ambassadors at the Holy See in a traditional New Year's address.

He said: ''I should like to repeat once again that the military option is not a solution and that violence, whatever side it comes from and whatever form it takes, must be firmly condemned''.

Benedict urged the international community to help reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, ''indispensable for restoring acceptable living conditions for the population,'' and called for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would respect both sides' ''legitimate aspirations and rights''.

The pope also reaffirmed the need for dialogue between Israel and Syria, and urged support for ''the ongoing consolidation'' of institutions in Lebanon.

As the conflict escalated with the first exchange of missiles between Israel and Hezbollah, the pope also voiced the hope that upcoming elections in the Middle East would produce ''leaders capable of taking the peace process forward with determination''.

Elections are due in Israel on February 10 while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently said he would call elections ''soon'' unless the rift between Hamas and his more moderate Fatah group is sealed. Lebanese elections are set for June 7.