RAMALLAH, July 21, 2025 - On Monday, President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the latest developments regarding the difficult situation in the occupied Palestinian territories during a phone call with Pope Leo XIV of the Vatican.

President Abbas briefed the Pope on the dire conditions the Palestinian people are enduring as a result of the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, marked by killings, starvation, and widespread destruction—the most recent being the destruction of the Holy Family Church in Gaza.

The President reiterated the key priorities for the Palestinians, which include achieving a ceasefire, securing the release of hostages, facilitating the entry of medical and humanitarian aid, allowing the State of Palestine to fully fulfill its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, and releasing Palestinian funds that Israel has withheld. These measures are crucial as the withholding of funds has significantly worsened an already dire situation. 

President Abbas called on the Pope to direct his prayers and appeals to world leaders to stop the killing, starvation, and acts of terrorism against the Palestinian people. He specifically called for an end to the assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites and to prevent the acts of terror committed by settlers in the village of Al-Taybeh. Abbas emphasized that these actions are unacceptable and must be condemned, stressing that such acst should never be repeated.

He stressed that Palestinian Muslims and Christians stand united in their pursuit of freedom and independence.

The president praised the Vatican’s honorable stance in upholding international humanitarian law and its repeated calls for peace in the Holy Land, reaffirming the State of Palestine’s commitment to strengthening its close relations with the Vatican, which recognized the State of Palestine in 2015.

His Excellency also expressed the Palestinian leadership’s appreciation for the Vatican’s decision to host and treat wounded children from Gaza and their families in Rome.

He extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the Holy Land and to pray in the Church of the Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the realization of peace and an end to wars.

For his part, the Pope affirmed the Vatican’s call for respect for international and humanitarian law, the importance of ending war and suffering, and the need to halt violations of holy sites.

He said, “We pray for peace."

"Yesterday, we appealed to the faithful to stop the war and to respect international and humanitarian law and the holy sites."