Pope says Israel still does not accept two-states, but Palestinian state is only solution

Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday evening that the Holy See has long supported the two-state solution, stressing that it remains the only viable path to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Speaking to journalists aboard his flight from Ankara to Beirut, the Pope stated: “Israel does not accept the two-state solution at this moment, but we regard it as the only solution that can offer a way out of the conflict.”

Addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine, he added that “there are once again concrete proposals for peace,” according to the Lebanese broadcaster MTV.

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on Sunday to a ceremonial welcome that featured traditional Lebanese folk dancing and the scattering of rice. His first stop was the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

According to the Lebanese National News Agency, the reception included a light show at the palace entrance, projecting an image of the Pope alongside the Lebanese cedar tree, surrounded by doves of peace and the Vatican emblem.

Crowds lined the route to Baabda Palace despite the rain, with the Pope waving to citizens from his vehicle. Upon arrival, he was received by the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, and First Lady Neemat Aoun.

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