In a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Pope Leo XIV renews his urgent appeal for the protection of civilians and sacred sites, the need to respect International Humanitarian Law and to reject the forced transfer of the population amid escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank.
Amid continuing violence in the Holy Land, Pope Leo XIV held a telephone conversation on Monday morning with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine. According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the Pope received the call from President Abbas during which they discussed recent developments in the conflict in the Gaza Strip and violence in the West Bank.
“During the telephone call, the Holy Father repeated his appeal for International Humanitarian Law to be fully respected, emphasising in particular the obligation to protect civilians and sacred sites, the prohibition of the indiscriminate use of force and of the forced transfer of the population,” the statement reads.
“Given the tragic humanitarian situation,” it continues, “emphasis was placed on the urgent need to provide assistance to those most vulnerable to the consequences of the conflict and to allow the adequate entry of humanitarian aid.” Finally, the Pope recalled “the auspicious” tenth anniversary of the Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, signed on 26 June 2015 and in force since 2 January 2016.
