Overview
- An official readout said both sides stressed the urgent need to assist civilians in Gaza and to end the conflict by pursuing a two-state solution.
- The Thursday audience at the Vatican was Pope Leo XIV’s first face-to-face meeting with Mahmoud Abbas after earlier telephone contact.
- Abbas began his Rome visit by laying flowers at Pope Francis’ tomb at St. Mary Major, praising Francis for recognizing Palestine without being asked.
- The visit aligned with the 10th anniversary of the Holy See–Palestine Comprehensive Agreement, which affirms Palestinian self-determination and Jerusalem’s multi-religious significance.
- The talks occurred nearly a month into a Gaza ceasefire, and Abbas is due to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday.