And it is the ambassador, Yaron Sideman, who will represent Israel at the funeral of Pope Francis. This is in marked contrast to the heads of state or government who will be atten

The parish priest of Gaza's only Catholic church talks about getting daily calls from Pope Francis during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Coming at a time of effusive global mourning over Francis’ death, the decision to delete the post appeared to reflect the tensions that have emerged between Israel and the Vatican over Francis’ frequent criticism of Israel’s conduct during the war in Gaza.

France, Germany and Britain meanwhile said Israel's seven-week blockade on all imports to Gaza was "intolerable."

It was the second time in a week that Israel’s military, after an internal investigation, reversed an initial denial of its role in a deadly incident.