Important News
Home Presidency 21/July/2025 04:34 PM

President Abbas discusses latest developments in occupied Palestinian Territory with Pope Leo XIV

President Abbas discusses latest developments in occupied Palestinian Territory with Pope Leo XIV

RAMALLAH, July 21, 2025 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas Monday discussed the latest developments in the difficult situation in the occupied Palestinian territory during a phone call with Pope Leo XIV of the Vatican.

President Abbas briefed the Pope on the dire conditions the Palestinian people are enduring as a result of the ongoing genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, marked by killings, starvation, and widespread destruction—the most recent being the destruction of the Holy Family Church in Gaza.

The President reiterated the Palestinian priority of achieving a ceasefire, securing the release of hostages, facilitating the entry of medical and humanitarian aid, enabling the State of Palestine to fully assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, and releasing the Palestinian funds withheld by Israel, which has severely exacerbated the already dire situation.

President Abbas called on the Pope to direct his prayers and appeals to world leaders to stop the killing, starvation, and settler terrorism against the Palestinian people, to halt the assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites, and to prevent the acts of terror committed by the colonists in the village of Al-Taybeh, which he emphasized are unacceptable and condemned, stressing that such acts must never be repeated.He stressed that Palestinian Muslims and Christians stand united in their pursuit of freedom and independence.

The President praised the Vatican’s honorable stance in upholding international humanitarian law and its repeated calls to achieve peace in the land of peace, reaffirming the State of Palestine’s commitment to strengthening its close relations with the Vatican, which recognized the State of Palestine in 2015.

His Excellency also expressed the Palestinian leadership’s appreciation for the Vatican’s decision to host and treat wounded children from Gaza and their families in Rome.

He extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the Holy Land and to pray in the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the realization of peace and an end to wars.

For his part, the Pope affirmed the Vatican’s call for respect of international and humanitarian law, the importance of ending wars and suffering, and the need to halt violations of holy sites.

He said: “We pray for peace. Yesterday, we made an appeal before the faithful to stop the war and to respect international and humanitarian law and the holy sites.”

T.R.

Related News

Read More