VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is set to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, the Vatican announced, as the pontiff continues to voice strong concerns over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Abbas is traveling to Italy this week, where he will also meet Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Vatican’s brief announcement of the meeting offered no further details about the agenda.
In a forthcoming book, Pope Francis suggested the international community should consider whether Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide against the Palestinian people. This comment sparked criticism from Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican, who dismissed the claims as baseless. Israel maintains that its operations are aimed at neutralizing Hamas and other militant groups.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Gaza authorities report that nearly 45,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 106,000 injured in the ongoing offensive, with famine looming and most of Gaza’s 2 million residents displaced.
Francis, known for his cautious approach to international conflicts, has recently taken a more outspoken stance. In October, he criticized the “shameful inability” of global powers to halt the war and condemned Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon as “beyond morality.” He has maintained daily contact with a Catholic parish in Gaza throughout the conflict.
The Pope and Abbas last spoke by phone in November 2023, a month into the Israel-Hamas conflict. Their upcoming meeting underscores the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to address the humanitarian crisis and promote peace in the region.