Pope Leo XIV delivers his blessing to the faithful gathered in Piazza della Libertà in front of the Apostolic Palace.
Pope calls for end to West Bank ‘Israeli’ violence against Palestinians
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Pope Leo XIV on Sunday renewed his appeal for an end to repeated violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, amid a surge in attacks by ‘Israeli’ settlers and an ongoing siege of Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra south of Nablus.
Speaking after the Angelus prayer at his Castel Gandolfo residence outside Rome, the Pope said: “I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank.”
He added: “I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace.”
He called for an end “to the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian population of the West Bank”.
The remarks came as ‘Israeli’ settlers had for about a week surrounded Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Qusra, cutting off water and electricity in what rights groups described as an effort to seize land and force residents out.
Families from the Abu Ridi and Hassan households, including young children, were trapped with dwindling supplies; ‘Israeli’ forces later declared the area a closed military zone, dismantled some outposts amid clashes, and in some cases ordered Palestinian residents to leave temporarily.
Similar incidents have multiplied across the West Bank.
Settlers have also targeted other communities, including arson attacks and the siege of homes elsewhere, contributing to what UN officials have called a situation at “breaking point.”
Data cited by the UN indicated more than 2,200 Palestinians displaced in 2026 due to settler violence and access restrictions, with serious nationalist-motivated attacks rising sharply.
The Holy See has long supported a two-state solution based on secure, internationally recognized borders, viewing it as the only viable path to just and lasting peace.
‘Israeli’ settlements in the West Bank are widely regarded as illegal under international law related to military occupation, a position held by the United Nations and most governments.
‘Israel’, which seized the territory in the 1967 war, disputes that characterization.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has overseen significant settlement expansion; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described the policy as aimed at preventing a Palestinian state.
