The Vatican secretary of state reiterated the Holy See’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during high-level meetings at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Speaking to top diplomats and world leaders, Cardinal Pietro Parolin stressed that establishing a two-state framework, grounded in secure and internationally recognized borders, serves as the singular fair and workable route toward achieving a permanent and just peace throughout the Middle East.
The Vatican’s Stance on the Two-State Solution
Cardinal Parolin stressed that the Holy See continues to uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, specifically their right to self-determination. He described attaining freedom, security, and dignity within an independent and sovereign state as a legitimate aspiration for Palestinians.
The two-state solution is a proposed peace plan designed to establish two separate, independent countries within the former British territory of Mandatory Palestine. Under this arrangement, Israel is established as the homeland for the Jewish people alongside Palestine for the Palestinian people, with the latter nation formed across East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Israel seized the latter territories from Egypt and Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Addressing the Gaza Conflict and Humanitarian Needs
While acknowledging the 2025 resolution introduced by President Donald Trump to consolidate a ceasefire, promote the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, and establish a foundation for a more stable future, Cardinal Parolin cautioned that these efforts cannot be viewed in isolation. He noted that Gaza must be considered within the broader political context of the future of the Palestinian people as a whole, adding that it would not be enough for the Palestinians to exist on humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts.
The ongoing conflict has inflicted severe human suffering. Following the October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on southern Israel—which resulted in some 1,200 Israelis killed and 251 hostages abducted—Israel declared war. Retaliatory sanctions and humanitarian blockades plunged the territory into famine for several months in 2025. Despite a ceasefire in place since October 2025, sporadic attacks have persisted, pushing the total death toll to at least 73,928 Palestinians killed, according to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Status of Jerusalem and Artificial Intelligence Governance
Highlighting the geographical importance of Jerusalem, the cardinal pointed out that its eastern half lies within the border of the West Bank and which Palestinians wish to be the capital of Palestine. Because the city is sacred to Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike, the Holy See maintains its longstanding call for an internationally guaranteed special statute to safeguard its unique character, the holy places and the rights of the faithful of the three monotheistic religions.
In a separate high-level meeting dedicated to AI, Cardinal Parolin called for limits on the fast pace of the development of artificial intelligence. He emphasized that upholding human dignity must remain paramount as technology designed to mimic human intelligence to perform tasks such as problem-solving, learning and reasoning continues to advance.