Pope meets Palestinian leader Abbas at the Vatican

Mahmud Abbas, the president of Palestine, met with Pope Francis on Thursday to address the “serious” humanitarian situation. Francis has recently stepped up his criticism of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The Vatican tweeted pictures of the couple smiling together, claiming that they had a secret half-hour session to discuss peace efforts. The two have met multiple times before.

Abbas then met with Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s equivalent of a foreign minister, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See.

The Church’s support for “the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the hoped-for truce, the release of all hostages, and “achieving the two-state solution only through dialogue and diplomacy” were the main topics of discussion, according to a Vatican statement.

The meeting comes a few days after the release of a photo showing Pope Francis praying in front of a nativity scene at the Vatican, where the baby Jesus’s manger is covered with a black and white keffiyeh scarf, the symbol of Palestinian resistance.

According to diplomatic and Vatican sources who spoke to AFP, the Israeli embassy to the Holy See protested the image and demanded that the keffiyeh be taken down.

Since Hamas’s historic October 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, Francis has advocated for peace.

He has become more strident in his criticism of the Israeli offensive in recent weeks.

His uncommon statement at the end of November that “the invader’s arrogance… prevails over dialogue” in “Palestine” stands in stark contrast to the Holy See’s neutrality heritage.

In extracts from a forthcoming book published in November, he called for a “careful” study as to whether the situation in Gaza “corresponds to the technical definition” of genocide, an accusation firmly rejected by Israel.

At the end of September, Francis condemned the “immoral” use of force in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Holy See supports the two-state solution and has maintained diplomatic ties with the State of Palestine since 2013.

Abbas is also scheduled to meet with President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome.