Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Catholic Church following Pope Francis’s death in May, has reaffirmed the Vatican’s support for a two-state solution as the only viable path to resolving the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict. Speaking during an in-flight press conference on his first foreign trip from Turkey to Lebanon, the Pope said that while Israel currently rejects this approach, the Vatican continues to view the establishment of a Palestinian state as essential for lasting peace. His visit comes amid ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, adding significance to his remarks. During his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and discussed both the Israel-Palestine and Russia-Ukraine conflicts, emphasizing Turkey’s potential role in promoting peace. He also condemned rising global violence in the name of religion and praised Turkey as an example of peaceful coexistence among different faiths.