This morning the pontiff received the president of the ANP for half an hour, for the first time in three years. A note from the Vatican notes the attention that was devoted to the “very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza.” For the Vicar of the Custody there are prospects for a ceasefire and celebrating “a very different peace from last year”, although there remains “great concern” for Lebanon and Syria.
Rome () – “I believe that in the next week, before Christmas, there will be a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. It is a personal evaluation,” but in the current situation there are prospects for a truce that will allow us to celebrate a party “very different from last year. A Christmas of hope,” he says to Father Ibrahim Faltas, vicar general of the Custody of the Holy Land of Jerusalem, at the conclusion of today’s meeting between Pope Francis and Abu Mazen. The Egyptian Franciscan is part of the delegation that accompanied the Palestinian president to Rome, although he clarified that he did not personally attend the meetings.
The audience with the pontiff and, subsequently, the meeting with Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Bishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, took place in a strictly private manner. “A very important meeting in the current situation – highlights Fr. Faults – and fruit of good relations: the Pope appreciates Abu Mazen, and the same goes for the Palestinian president, because Francis has never stopped being close to the Palestinian cause.” Abbas, he continues, “was very happy, both for the meeting with the Pope and for the subsequent meeting with Card. Parolin, because he has great confidence in the Vatican and in the role it can play in reaching a ceasefire.
In a note distributed by the Vatican media, it is explained that “during the cordial conversations at the Secretariat of State, reference was made to the good bilateral relations, underlining the important contribution of the Catholic Church to Palestinian society.” An even more significant contribution at a time of conflict “with the help that has been provided in the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, where it is hoped that a ceasefire and the release of all the hostages will take place as soon as possible.” The statement then reiterates “the condemnation of all forms of terrorism”, and at the same time underlines “the importance of achieving the two-state solution only through dialogue and diplomacy, ensuring that Jerusalem, protected by a special status, can be a place of meeting and friendship between the three great monotheistic religions”. Finally, the statement concludes, “the hope was expressed that the Jubilee of 2025 could bring the return of pilgrims to the Holy Land, which so desires peace.”
After the audience with the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Maḥmoud Abbas, the Pope will receive the interim Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati tomorrow, confirming the intense diplomatic activity that the Holy See has been developing for some time. The conversation between the Palestinian leader and the pontiff, the first in three years, lasted more than half an hour. In a statement released shortly after the conclusion, Abbas thanked Francis “for his stand in support of achieving a just peace in Palestine based on the two-state solution.” There is no doubt that the diplomatic activity of the Holy See in recent days aims to support and reinforce the path towards peace in a Middle East bloodied by wars and violence, and to promote dialogue between the parties.
Expanding his reflection to the situation throughout the Middle East, the vicar general of the Custody of the Holy Land does not hide a “great concern” for both Lebanon and neighboring Syria, the scene in recent weeks of the sudden collapse of the regime and exile. of their leaders. Also in this case, he adds, it is hoped that a solution can be reached through dialogue, silencing the weapons that have already caused too many victims throughout the region. “I hope that a real agreement will be reached before Christmas – he concludes – to also celebrate the ceasefire. [Yasser] Arafat declared Christmas a national holiday for everyone, not only for Christians but also for Muslims and Jews, who celebrate the festival of Light. “It should be a celebration of peace for everyone.”
Meanwhile, the international community remains focused on the evolving situation in Syria, where rebels have overthrown former President Bashar al-Assad and are forming a transitional executive, while several foreign ministries have begun relations with the new leaders. . However, the war has not ended in Gaza and Israel continues with the bombings that killed another 35 people in the last hours; The total number of deaths since October 7, 2023 is close to 45 thousand, to which 106 thousand are injured. The new vote by the UN General Assembly calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Strip can be of little use, even if Hamas, according to sources in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), has opened up for the first time about the presence of the Israeli army in Gaza during the truce. At the same time, the Palestinian organization reportedly provided mediators with a list of hostages, including some American citizens, that it is willing to release: 30 prisoners during a 60-day ceasefire period, in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Always on the diplomatic front, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials in Jerusalem. For the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden it is one of the last – if not the last – effort to try to reach a truce between the Jewish State and Hamas, and unblock negotiations on the hostages. Also present at the meeting were the head of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar, the head of the Mossad David Barnea and the government’s point man for the hostage taking, Gal Hirsch. In the next few hours he will travel to Qatar and Egypt, the two Arab countries that, together with the United States, play the role of mediators between Israel and Hamas. Finally, regarding the dual issue of hostages and the peaceful transition in Syria, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Jordan today to meet with King Abdullah II. Later it will continue to Türkiye, where meetings with the highest local institutions have been planned, always aimed at a truce in the Strip and stability in Damascus.
(Vatican Media Photo)
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