Pope Leo meets Palestinian President Abbas
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo
The meeting, which lasted about an hour and was described as “cordial” in a brief Vatican statement, comes nearly a month after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip took effect.
The pope and Abbas had never met in person before. They spoke by phone in July to discuss developments in the conflict in Gaza and the violence in the West Bank.
“During the cordial talks, it was recognized that there was an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population of Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution,” the Holy See said.
In September, Pope Leo and his top diplomats told Israel’s president that a two-state solution was the “only way out of war,” as the Vatican called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Abbas was visiting the Vatican to mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the “Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine.”
He arrived in Rome on Wednesday afternoon and visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore to pay respects at the tomb of the late Pope Francis.
Over the years, Abbas met with the late Pope Francis several times, maintaining frequent telephone contact after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and the Israeli strikes on Gaza.
