Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday, where the two leaders discussed urgent humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and the need to revive efforts toward a two-state solution for lasting peace in the Middle East.
According to a Vatican statement, the meeting focused on the “urgent humanitarian needs of civilians in the Gaza Strip,” where shortages of food, clean water, medical supplies, and essential aid continue despite ongoing ceasefire efforts. Pope Leo expressed his deep concern for the suffering of the Palestinian people and assured President Abbas of the Vatican’s support in addressing the crisis.
The Vatican emphasized that the discussion also touched on the importance of achieving sustainable peace in the region through dialogue, mutual recognition, and the establishment of two independent states — Israel and Palestine — coexisting in peace and security.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions in Gaza. Although a temporary truce with Hamas remains nominally in effect, Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire in recent weeks with renewed airstrikes. The situation has further deepened the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which remains under severe blockade.
Palestinian government sources confirmed that Abbas urged the Vatican to use its moral influence to mobilize international support for immediate humanitarian relief and renewed diplomatic efforts for peace.
President Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) — a coalition originally founded by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The internationally recognized autonomous administration operates from Ramallah, the West Bank’s capital. However, large parts of the West Bank remain under Israeli military occupation, despite international objections.
Gaza, once under PLO control, has been governed by the militant group Hamas since 2007, following a violent internal conflict that ousted Arafat’s loyalists from the enclave.
Thursday’s meeting between Abbas and Pope Leo is seen as part of broader international efforts to ease the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and reignite peace negotiations in a region long scarred by conflict and division.