This morning, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received a telephone call from His Excellency Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, concerning 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, emphasizing in particular the obligation to protect civilians and sacred places, the prohibition of the indiscriminate use of force and of the forced transfer of the population. Given the tragic humanitarian situation, 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 Holy Father recalled the auspicious tenth anniversary of the Comprehensive Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Palestine, signed on 26 June 2015, which entered into force on 2 January 2016.