TEHRAN, Iran

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke by phone on Sunday with Pope Francis about the war in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to his office.

Raisi told the head of the Catholic Church that supporting the people of Palestine is in line with the teachings of all Abrahamic religions including Christianity, the statement noted.

The phone call came as the death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continues to mount, reaching 9,770 as of Sunday according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, with most of the victims women and children.

Israel has been pounding the coastal strip since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise military attack dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7.

Raisi told Pope Francis that the Israeli attacks in Gaza constitute the “biggest genocide” of this century, calling on the international community to support the people of Palestine.

He described the Israeli airstrikes on the densely-populated territory and killing of women and children and attacks on hospitals and refugee camps as a “clear example of a crime against humanity.”

Referring to the recent attack on the Church of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest church in the Gaza Strip, Raisi noted that Palestinian Christians are also the victims of “Israeli apartheid,” which he said is being carried out with the backing of the US and several European countries.

He appreciated the Pope’s calls for a cease-fire.

Raisi further emphasized what he called the “principled policy” of Iran towards the people of Gaza, which includes using all diplomatic capacities to stop the attacks and send humanitarian aid.

Pope Francis stressed the need to stop the attacks on Gaza and establish a cease-fire. He also called for an immediate halt to killings of women and children.

The pontiff previously spoke by phone with other world leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden.

Earlier on Sunday, he issued an urgent call for an end to attacks in Gaza and the supply of humanitarian aid to the injured in order to ease the "very grave" situation.

"I keep thinking about the grave situation in Palestine and Israel, where many people have lost their lives. I beg you to stop in the name of God. Cease fire," he said in St. Peter's Square.