Valentina di Giorgio
(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.22.2023).- On the evening of Sunday, October 22, Pope Francis and the President of the United States, Joe Biden, held a telephone conversation.
According to a communication from the Holy See Press Office, the conversation lasted 20 minutes and “focused on conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace.”
Meanwhile, the White House reported that “Today, President Joseph R. Biden spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss the latest developments in Israel and Gaza. The President condemned the barbarous attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians and affirmed the need to protect civilians in Gaza. He discussed his recent visit to Israel and his efforts to ensure delivery of food, medicine, and other humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They also discussed the need to prevent escalation in the region and to work toward a durable peace in the Middle East.”
On this very Sunday, October 22, President Biden appeared to make public the content of his conversation with Pope Francis through Twitter:
“Israel has the right to defend itself. We must make sure they have what they need to protect their people today and always. At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have discussed how Israel must operate by the laws of war. That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can. We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace. That’s why I secured an agreement for the first shipment of humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. And we cannot give up on a two-state solution.”
