Pope Leo XIV has called for an end to repeated violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, as settler attacks, settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinian communities fuel growing international concern.
Pope Leo on Sunday called for an end to violence against Palestinians in the territory, amid reports of attacks by Israeli settlers and a prolonged siege of Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra.
Israeli settlers have reportedly encircled Palestinian homes in Qusra after cutting off water and electricity supplies, in what rights groups have described as part of broader efforts to pressure Palestinian families and expand control over Palestinian land.
“I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,” the Pope said after Sunday prayers at his residence in Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome.
Without referring to specific incidents, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church also called on the international community to advance a political settlement.
“I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace,” he said.
The Pope’s remarks come amid continuing violence against Palestinians in several parts of the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers have been attacking residents, torching property, damaging crops, blocking roads and attempting to force Palestinian families from their homes and farmland.
Palestinian officials and rights groups say settler attacks have increasingly accompanied the establishment and expansion of settlement outposts on privately owned and agricultural land.
The United Nations has repeatedly expressed concern over settler violence and settlement expansion, warning that attacks, movement restrictions and limited access to agricultural land are contributing to displacement and worsening conditions for Palestinian communities.
In Qusra, south of Nablus, Palestinian families have faced a prolonged confrontation over their homes in the Ras al-Ain area.
The Qusra incident reflects a wider pattern in which Palestinian communities say settler attacks, military restrictions and settlement expansion are placing increasing pressure on residents to leave areas where they have lived and farmed for generations.
The Vatican has long supported the establishment of a Palestinian state. More than 150 of the 193 UN member states recognize Palestine, comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East al-Quds.
Emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s all-out support, Israel has stepped up its illegal settlement construction activities in defiance of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334, which pronounced settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.”
The United Nations and most governments consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice has also said Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territory violates international law.
Israel captured the West Bank, including East al-Quds, during the 1967 war and has maintained military control over the territory, while Israeli settlements have expanded substantially over subsequent decades.
