Pope Leo XIV and his main diplomats told the president of Israel on Thursday that a solution of two states was the “only exit to war”, while the Vatican asked for a permanent cessation in Gaza, the release of all hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians affected by hunger there.
The Vatican issued an unusually detailed statement after the Leo XIV meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who also met with the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
Herzog, meanwhile, said he had asked Leo XIV to meet with the families of the hostages and asked to intensify international efforts to ensure his release.
The audience marked the first of the first American Pope in history with the head of Israeli state. Leo XIV spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July after an Israeli projectile hit the only Catholic Church in Gaza, killing three people and hurting the pastor.
The Vatican has tried to maintain its tradition of diplomatic neutrality during the war, asking for the return of hostages while denouncing Israel’s attacks against civilians in Gaza. But both Pope Francis before, Leo XIV since his election in May, have expressed a growing indignation for Israel’s measures in Gaza. The late Pope even requested an investigation to determine if Israeli actions constitute genocide.
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