Pope Leo meets Palestinian President, calls for two-state solution

Pope Leo XIV met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the first time on Thursday, and the two men discussed the urgent need to provide assistance to civilians in Gaza and to pursue a two-state solution to end the conflict in the region.

The meeting, which lasted about an hour and was described as "cordial" in a brief Vatican statement, comes nearly a month after the US-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect in the Gaza Strip.

“During the talks, it was recognised that there is an urgent need to provide assistance to the civilians in Gaza and end the conflict by pursuing a two-State solution," the Holy See said. In September, Pope Leo and his top diplomats told Israel's president that a two-state solution was the "only way out of the war," as the Vatican called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.