Pope Francis calls for 'permanent, just' resolution to Palestinian issue, commends Kingdom's aid efforts Pontiff deplores lack of 'progress towards peace' in Gaza

AMMAN — The Catholic Centre for Studies and Media said on Saturday that Pope Francis has called for decisive action to achieve a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue, warning that the region will otherwise remain trapped in a cycle of violence and instability.

 

Pope Francis also commended the efforts of His Majesty King Abdullah in supporting Gaza and delivering aid to Palestinians through daily humanitarian assistance reaching the West Bank and Gaza by air and land, facilitated by the Jordanian Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF).

 

He also hailed King Abdullah's advocacy for Palestine on international platforms, adding that His Majesty has consistently stressed that peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the region are unattainable without resolving the Palestinian issue and realising the aspirations of the Palestinian people through the establishment of an independent state on their land, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

 

During a press conference aboard the papal plane returning to Rome from Singapore on Friday, Pope Francis reiterated Jordan's steadfast and clear stance, noting that Jordanian diplomacy, under King Abdullah's leadership, consistently highlights the suffering of the Palestinian people. 

 

The Pope also emphasised Jordan's efforts to build an international consensus condemning these violations and keep the Palestinian cause a priority for the international community.

 

Addressing the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which has lasted over 11 months, Pope Francis expressed sorrow over the lack of tangible steps towards ending the war and achieving lasting peace.

 

Pope Francis on Friday deplored a lack of progress in negotiations to end the war in Gaza, while calling out the death of babies in Israeli bombings.

 

"Forgive me for saying so but I don't see any progress being made towards peace," said the 87-year-old pope, according to AFP.

 

Speaking to journalists aboard the papal plane on his return to Rome from Singapore following a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific, Francis said that every day he calls the Catholic Church's parish in Gaza, where he said some 600 people, Muslims and Christians, are sheltered.

 

"They tell me horrible things, difficult things," said Francis. 

 

"I can't judge whether this war action is too bloody or not," he added. 

 

"But please, when you see the bodies of babies killed, when you see that, under the presumption that some guerrillas are there, a school is bombed, this is ugly," AFP reported.