In a significant diplomatic gesture, Pope Leo held a phone conversation on Monday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, expressing deep concern over the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank. This marked their first official discussion since the beginning of Pope Leo’s papacy.
According to a statement from the Vatican, the pontiff reiterated his plea for the strict observance of international humanitarian law, stressing the critical need to shield civilians and religious sites from harm. He also condemned the indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of people in conflict zones.
Pope Leo emphasized the necessity of allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and ensuring that vulnerable communities receive timely assistance. The call followed a previous conversation between the pope and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which took place shortly after an Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s only Catholic church left three people dead.
During his Sunday address, the pope strongly denounced the ongoing hostilities in Gaza, referring to the situation as “barbaric,” and once again advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
The Vatican reaffirmed its commitment to peace through a two-state solution and highlighted its longstanding recognition of Palestinian statehood, formalized in a 2015 agreement. The Holy See was one of the first European states to do so.
This development brings to mind a 2014 moment when Pope Francis hosted then-Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Abbas at the Vatican, where they symbolically planted an olive tree—a gesture of peace that remains deeply symbolic amid today’s tensions.
