Pope Leo XIV calls for end to violence against West Bank Palestinians

Pope Leo XIV called on Sunday for an end to violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank, amid a surge of attacks by extremist settlers and a siege in the village of Qusra. The appeal followed a plea for help from residents of Taybeh, the West Bank’s only Christian village, who reported threats from settlers. In Qusra, residents of two homes have been under siege since August 9, with Israeli soldiers deployed to the road outside to block movement. Speaking after noon prayers at his Castel Gandolfo residence, the Pope urged the international community to take action to advance a two-state solution for a fair and lasting peace, without citing specific confrontations. The Vatican has long supported the establishment of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has overseen significant settlement expansion in the West Bank, a policy Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described as intended to bury the prospect of a Palestinian state. Critics have accused the Israeli government of condoning or encouraging the rising settler violence, with some reports alleging that IDF troops have stood by or assisted in the attacks.