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December 13, 2024 | 03:43 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Francis, who has recently become more vocal in his criticism of Israel's genocide in Gaza, received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, December 12, 2024, where they discussed the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The two leaders, as reported by Reuters, who have previously met several times, discussed peace efforts in a half-hour private audience, according to the Vatican, which released pictures of them smiling together.
Abbas later met with the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
The discussions focused on the Church's assistance in "the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza," hopes for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and "implementing a two-state solution via dialogue and diplomacy," the Vatican statement said.
According to the statement, the discussions between Pope Francis and Abbas also included the importance of a special status for Jerusalem.
The meeting took place a few days after a photo circulated of Pope Francis praying in front of the Nativity scene at the Vatican, where the infant Jesus' manger was covered with a black and white keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
The photo sparked protests from the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See, which requested the removal of the keffiyeh, according to diplomatic and Vatican sources.
Pope Francis has been calling for peace since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza, which has killed over 44,800 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.
In recent weeks, he has toughened his statements against what he called Israel's genocide. In excerpts from his forthcoming book, he called for a "careful" investigation of whether the situation in Gaza "fits the technical definition" of genocide.
Pope Francis condemned the "immoral" use of force in Lebanon and Gaza at the end of September.
The Holy See has recognized the State of Palestine since 2013, and they maintain diplomatic relations, supporting a two-state solution.
Abbas is also scheduled to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella in Rome.
As reported by Anadolu, the second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn international condemnation, where officials and international agencies describe the attacks and the blockade on aid deliveries as deliberate attempts to destroy a population.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war in Gaza.
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