President Mahmoud Abbas met on Thursday, with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican. During the meeting, President Abbas expressed his deep gratitude to Pope Francis for his unwavering support for a just peace in Palestine based on the two-state solution. He also thanked the Pope for advocating a ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and calling for the protection of hospitals, schools, and places of worship.
President Abbas extended his heartfelt congratulations to Pope Francis on the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. He underscored the significance of world church reflecting, during this holy season, on the suffering of the Palestinian people. He emphasized their longing for peace, justice, freedom from occupation, and their right to self-determination through the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
President Abbas reaffirmed the necessity of preserving the historical and legal status of Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian holy sites. He highlighted the importance of safeguarding the city’s unique identity and cultural heritage, ensuring freedom of worship, and securing unimpeded access to holy sites amid ongoing unilateral measures that threaten it.
President Abbas stressed the historical ties between the State of Palestine and the Holy See, expressing a commitment to further strengthen these relations within the framework of the 2017 memorandum of understanding signed by both parties.
The President provided Pope Francis with an overview of the latest developments in Palestine, particularly the unfolding genocide in Gaza, where Israeli military actions have caused tens of thousands of casualties, widespread injuries, and displacement, along with unprecedented destruction of infrastructure and civilian properties. He also detailed the escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where Israeli settlers continue to perpetrate violence and commit crimes against unarmed Palestinians, including killings, raids on towns and villages, settlement expansion, and violations of holy sites, particularly in occupied Jerusalem.
President Abbas called for the immediate end to Israeli aggression, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza, and the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to avert a large-scale catastrophe.
He also outlined Palestine’s ongoing political, diplomatic, and legal efforts at international forums to end the Israeli occupation. These include implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2735 for a ceasefire in Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid, ensuring Palestine’s ability to assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, and enforcing the UN General Assembly’s resolution supporting the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on ending occupation and settlement activities.
President Abbas highlighted the need to mobilize international support for Palestine’s bid for full membership in the United Nations and to secure additional recognition of the State of Palestine.
The President arrived in Rome on Wednesday. His schedule includes meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tomorrow.
President Abbas is accompanied by Member of the PLO Executive Committee, Ziad Abu Amr, Chairman of the Hogher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Ramzi Khouri, Chief Justice of Palestine, Advisor to the President for Religious Affairs and Islamic Relations, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, Advisor to the President for Diplomatic Affairs, Majdi Al-Khalidi, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Holy See Issa Kassisieh, and Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Italy, Abeer Odeh.
