Rome (EFE).- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to recognize the State of Palestine during a meeting in Rome, as part of diplomatic efforts to preserve the two-state solution amid ongoing tensions in Gaza.
The meeting, held at Palazzo Chigi and lasting about one hour, included a ceremonial honor guard reception.
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Abbas asked Italy to recognize a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Italy is among the Western European countries that have not recognized Palestine, unlike others in the region, following the escalation of the war in Gaza.
However, Meloni’s ruling coalition has presented a parliamentary proposal suggesting recognition only if Hamas surrenders and renounces governance in the future.
Abbas thanked Italy for its humanitarian aid to Gaza, including the evacuation and treatment of injured children in Italian hospitals.
He also reaffirmed his “full commitment to reforms” aimed at building a democratic, demilitarized Palestinian state, holding elections within a year after the war, and forming a government without Hamas.
In a statement, the Italian government said Meloni stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire and begin stabilization and reconstruction in Gaza, following the plan proposed by United States President Donald Trump, a key ally of the Italian premier.
“Hamas will have no role in the future of the Palestinian people,” Meloni said, indicating that her government is preparing a new reconstruction aid package to be presented at an upcoming conference organized by Egypt.
Later, Abbas met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace. Mattarella called for accelerated humanitarian aid, disarmament of Hamas, and the creation of two internationally recognized states.
Abbas reiterated the Palestinian people’s intention to “live in a state alongside Israel, without war, hatred or terrorism.”
On Thursday, Abbas was received by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Both leaders underscored the need to protect civilians in Gaza and to pursue a two-state solution as the only path to peace, the Vatican said. EFE
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