Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 16, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Pope speaks out against violence targeting West Bank Palestinians
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GooglePope Leo uses his weekly Sunday address to call for an end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, amid a surge of attacks by extremist settlers.
“I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,” the pope says, without mentioning specific confrontations or attacks.
“I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace,” the Pope adds after noon prayers at his Castel Gandolfo residence outside Rome.
His comments come after residents of Taybeh, the West Bank’s only Christian village, had appealed to Leo for help amid settler attacks threatening members of the community.
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