November 7, 2025 | 01:14 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pope Leo XIV met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday for the first time since the Pope's election. During the hour-long meeting, they discussed the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the realization of a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"During the cordial talks, it was recognized that there is an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilian population in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-State solution," stated a brief statement from the Vatican Secretariat, as quoted by Anadolu.
The meeting took place in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the "Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine," the statement added. Signed on June 26, 2015, the agreement reaffirmed both parties' commitment to supporting the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the implementation of a two-state solution.
Visit to Pope Francis's Tomb
The day before the meeting, President Abbas visited the tomb of the late Pope Francis at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. On that occasion, Abbas acknowledged his gratitude for the late Pope's support for Palestine and its people.
"I cannot forget that he recognized Palestine without anyone having to ask him to do so," Abbas said, as quoted by Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV, an American, has condemned the forced displacement of civilians in Gaza and called for sustained humanitarian aid, as reported by CBS News. However, unlike Pope Francis at the end of his life, Pope Leo did not refer to Israel's military operations in Gaza as "genocide."
Since October 2023, nearly 69,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and over 170,000 others injured due to aggression by Israeli forces in the enclave. Israel continues to bombard Gaza despite a ceasefire arranged based on a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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