ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq—Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday congratulated Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, on his ascension to pontiff and urged him to continue his predecessor’s “peace efforts” in Palestine.

In a statement, Abbas, president of the Palestinian National Authority and the State of Palestine, expressed his “best wishes for the success of Pope Leo XIV in the pursuit of his noble task and maintaining the legacy of the late Pope Francis."

Abbas stressed the salient role of the Vatican “in the defense of just causes,” adding that "the Palestinian people and their right to liberty and independence" should be a top priority for the Catholic Church’s international peace efforts.

His comments explicitly recognize the extent of Pope Francis’s commitment to Palestinian rights, with the late pontiff having repeatedly lamented the plight of Gazans amid Israel’s relentless bombing campaign.

In an address on Easter Sunday, only one day before his passing, Pope Francis expressed his sadness over the conflict, which he said “continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation.”

The late pontiff repeatedly condemned the killings of Palestinians and Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid reaching the Gaza Strip, while also condemning antisemitism as a “sin against God” and supporting numerous interfaith dialogue sessions with both Muslims and Jews.

It remains unclear as of yet whether or not the first American pope will continue in a similar vein.

Palestine has a small but active Christian community that has seen a significant decline in the past century, with a 2017 census identifying 70,000 Christians living in the West Bank and Gaza.

Pope Francis garnered praise from Catholics in Gaza, whom he would frequently telephone during Israel’s bombing campaign, offering spiritual guidance and inquiring about their well-being.