Pope Leo XIV Renews Appeal to End Violence Against West Bank Palestinians as Settler Attacks Surge

Pope Leo XIV, speaking Sunday, August 16, 2026 from his residence outside Rome, renewed his call for an end to violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank amid the ongoing Qusra siege and a broader surge in settler attacks, including in Taybeh, one of the last remaining Christian villages in the West Bank. 'I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,' he said, urging the international community 'to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace.' The Vatican formally recognized the State of Palestine in 2015.