Pope Leo meets Palestinian President Abbas, discuss urgent need for Gaza aid, two-state solution

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time on Thursday, and the two men discussed the urgent need to provide assistance to civilians in Gaza and to pursue a two-state solution to end the conflict in the region.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour and was described as “cordial” in a brief Vatican statement, comes nearly a month after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect in the Gaza Strip.

The pope and Abbas had not met in person previously. They had spoken over the phone in July to talk about developments in the conflict in Gaza and violence in the West Bank.

“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,” the Holy See said.

In September, Pope Leo and his top diplomats told Israel’s president that a two-state solution was the “only way out of the war,” as the Vatican called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Abbas was visiting the Vatican to mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the “Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine.”

He arrived in Rome on Wednesday afternoon, and visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pay his respects to late Pope Francis’ tomb.

Over the years, Abbas had met the late Pope Francis several times, maintaining frequent phone contacts after Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s strikes on Gaza.