Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the “immoral” use of force in Lebanon and Gaza, in a call for Israel to show restraint.

According to AFP, the Pope said in statements to reporters on the plane that was bringing him back from Belgium, in response to a question about the consequences of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and Gaza on civilians, that “a state that acts in this way by force, whoever this state is, acts in such an excessive way, is doing immoral acts.”

Prior to his departure, at the end of a Mass at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, the Pope called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, which he described as “tormented,” expressing his “pain” over the widening conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Source: Jordan News Agency