Palestine News Agency (WAFA)                       February 15, 2025

   In a telegram sent to Pope Francis, Abbas commended the Vatican for its position rejecting United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly evacuate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, saying the population “must remain in its land.”

   President Abbas affirmed that it was the Israeli occupation that should leave the Gaza Strip and the whole occupied territories in line with the United Nations resolutions and respect for human rights.

   He added that he was totally confident that the Vatican would support Palestine’s noble endeavors to achieve just peace in the region, including most importantly the consolidation of Gaza ceasefire, halting the Israeli aggression on the West Bank cities and refugee camps, the acceleration of Gaza reconstruction, linking Gaza to the West Bank, enabling the State of Palestine to shoulder its responsibilities, and advancing towards the implementation of the two-state solution based on the June 1967 borders, ending the occupation, and helping realize the establishment of the geographically contiguous independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in order for all peoples of the region to live in security, peace and stability.

   Earlier, Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state of the Holy See, told reporters at a summit between Italy and the Holy See: “This is one of the fundamental points of the Holy See: no deportations,” as reported by the Anadolu news agency, citing the Italian ANSA news agency.

   “No deportations also because someone on the Italian side has underlined how this would create tension in the area,” he added.

   Parolin is reported as having said that: “Whoever was born and has lived in Gaza must remain on their land.” The news agency cited the Vatican’s official news outlet.