President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas met today in the Vatican City, with the Prime Minister of the Vatican, Pietro Parolin.
He briefed Prime Minister Parolin on the latest developments in Palestine, in light of the ongoing war of genocide carried out by Israel, the occupying power, in the Gaza Strip, the escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the continued crimes of colonists and their violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites, especially in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
The President stressed the importance of preserving the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, the necessity of ensuring freedom of worship and freedom of access to holy sites, and preserving the Holy City in the face of unilateral policies that affect the identity and cultural character of the city.
The President affirmed the necessity of implementing UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, to immediately cease fire in the Gaza Strip, withdraw the occupation forces from the entire Strip, and expedite the entry of humanitarian aid to it to avoid the risks of a humanitarian disaster in the stricken Strip.
He also briefed the Prime Minister of the Vatican on the political, diplomatic and legal efforts of the State of Palestine to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to enable the State of Palestine to assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, and to implement the UN General Assembly resolution on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on ending the occupation and settlement.
The President stressed the importance of mobilizing efforts to support the State of Palestine’s endeavor to obtain full membership in the United Nations, as well as obtaining more international recognition for the State of Palestine.
He congratulated the Prime Minister of the Vatican on the approaching Christmas and New Year, and thanked the Vatican for its positions in support of the rights of our people, foremost of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.
The meeting was attended by: Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Ziad Abu Amr, Chairman of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine Ramzi Khoury, 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, and Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the Vatican Issa Qassisieh.
