Palestinian president meets Pope to discuss Gaza's 'very serious' needs

Pope Francis met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican today, their first face-to-face encounter in three years, as Israel continues its genocide in Gaza, Reuters reports.

The men held private talks for half an hour, the Vatican said but offered few other details about the meeting.

A statement said Abbas also met with the Catholic Church’s top diplomatic officials to discuss the “very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, where it is hoped that there will be a ceasefire and the release of all hostages as soon as possible.”

Abbas said in a statement that he thanked the pope “for his positions in support of achieving a just peace in Palestine based on the two-state solution.”

Abbas is in Rome for a brief visit this week. He is also due to meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tomorrow.

The pope, as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently been more outspoken about Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza.

In November, Francis suggested the global community should study whether Israel’s campaign in Gaza constitutes a genocide of the Palestinian people. The comment, in a forthcoming book, drew a public rebuke from Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See.

Almost 45,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 106,000 injured in Israel’s offensive, while most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are homeless or displaced as famine looms.

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