Meeting at the Vatican: Palestinian President Abbas and Pope Leo discuss Gaza
As-salamu alaykum - Pope Leo XIV met in person with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, and they spoke about the urgent need to help civilians in Gaza. The meeting took place nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel after the conflict that began on October 7, 2023.
Abbas, who leads the Palestinian Authority in parts of the West Bank and heads the Fatah movement (which is a rival to Hamas, the group that has governed Gaza since 2007), had a cordial discussion with Pope Leo. They had spoken by phone in July, and this was their first face-to-face meeting since Leo became leader of the Catholic faithful in May.
According to the Vatican, both sides agreed on the pressing need to assist Gaza’s civilian population and to work toward ending the conflict, including pursuing a two-state solution. The meeting also marked ten years since the Holy See recognized the State of Palestine in an agreement signed in 2015.
Abbas had good relations with the previous pope, Pope Francis, who passed away in April. Francis became more outspoken against Israel’s campaign in Gaza during his final months, while Pope Leo has so far used somewhat more measured language - expressing solidarity with Gazans and condemning forced displacement, though stopping short of labeling the events as “genocide.”
On Wednesday, Abbas placed flowers at Francis’s tomb in Rome and praised the late pope’s support for the Palestinian people. Abbas is also scheduled to meet Italy’s prime minister on Friday.
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