On July 21, the Vatican announced that Pope Leo held a telephone conversation with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, focusing on the ongoing war in Gaza and the surge of violence in the occupied West Bank.
This marks the first official conversation between the two leaders since Pope Leo was elected head of the Catholic Church.
“The Holy Father reiterated his call for full respect of international humanitarian law, emphasizing in particular the obligation to protect civilians and holy sites, the prohibition of disproportionate force, and the forced displacement of populations,” the Vatican said in a statement.
Pope Leo also stressed the urgent need to deliver aid to the most vulnerable and to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those affected by the conflict.
This conversation followed his call last weekend with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held just a day after an Israeli airstrike hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people.
On Sunday, Pope Leo condemned the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza, once again urging for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
The Vatican officially recognized the State of Palestine through a formal agreement signed in 2015, becoming one of the first European states to do so. The Holy See continues to support a two-state solution as the path toward lasting peace in the region.
