Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Pope Leo XIV
held his first meeting with the President
Palestine
Mahmud Abbas on Thursday (6/11).The two discussed aid for the civilian population in Gaza which the Vatican called ‘urgent’.
This visit was carried out almost a month after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took place.This ceasefire decision occurred after the two-year war in Gaza which was triggered by the Hamas group’s attack on Israel on October 7 2023.
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Abbas is the longtime leader of the Palestinian Authority, which holds limited control over parts of the West Bank.The Fatah movement he leads is a rival to Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007.
Abbas and Leo spoke by telephone in July.This meeting was the first time the two of them met face to face
after Leo was crowned leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May.
“During the friendly 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 Vatican said in a statement after the meeting.
The meeting came 10 years after the Holy See officially recognized the Palestinian state through an agreement signed in 2015.
Abbas met several times with Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in April.
In the final months of his pontificate, Francis toughened his rhetoric against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but his successors have so far taken a more measured tone.
Leo has expressed solidarity with Gaza and condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians, but said the Holy See cannot describe what is happening as “genocide”.
On Wednesday afternoon, Abbas laid flowers at Francis’ tomb in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome.
“I cannot forget what he has done for Palestine and the Palestinian people,” Abbas told reporters.
In 2014, then-Israeli President Shimon Peres and Abbas joined in prayers for peace with Pope Francis at the Vatican, planting olive trees together.
Abbas will meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday.
(fea/fea)
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