Pope Francis to meet Palestinian President Abbas on Thursday, Vatican says

Vatican City: Pope Francis will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, the Vatican said in a planning note on Tuesday.

Abbas is traveling to Italy this week, where he is expected also to meet with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Francis and Abbas have met several times. The pope has recently become more vocal in his criticism of Israel's military campaign in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.

The pope in October criticised the "shameful inability" of the international community to bring an end to the war.

Francis, leader of the global Catholic Church since 2013, has also criticised Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah targets as going "beyond morality".

Abbas and Francis last met at the Vatican in November 2021. On Thursday, the Palestinian leader is expected to have a meeting with Francis at the Vatican's apostolic palace before also meeting with the Catholic Church's top diplomatic officials.