Pope says civilians killed in war aren't 'collateral damage'

Pope says civilians killed in war aren't 'collateral damage'

Pope Francis condemns the "immense tragedy" and "useless slaughter" of civilians in conflicts such as in Gaza and Ukraine, and says those killed should not be considered "collateral damage", in his New Year's address to diplomats at the Vatican.

In a speech dominated by calls for an end to conflicts around the world, the pontiff says people "need to realise more clearly that civilian victims are not 'collateral damage' but men and woman, with names and surnames, who lose their lives."