Overview

• The two-hour Vatican audience included follow-on talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul Gallagher and focused on Gaza and regional stability.
• A Vatican communiqué called for a permanent ceasefire, the liberation of all hostages, safe humanitarian corridors, and full respect for international humanitarian law.
• The Holy See reiterated that a two-state arrangement is the only path out of the current war and discussed guaranteeing a future for the Palestinian people, with references to the West Bank and Jerusalem.
• President Isaac Herzog said Israel is doing everything possible to bring home hostages and urged faith leaders to press for their immediate release.
• Herzog pledged to ensure the security and well-being of Christian communities in the Holy Land, as the Vatican publicly clarified that the meeting was requested by Israel.