President Biden said Pope Francis is “on the same page” when it comes to the Israel-Hamas conflict, adding that the pontiff endorsed his “game plan,” according to reports.
Biden spoke about his conversation with the Pope during an event at the White House unrelated to the conflict, the New York Post reported.
“The pope and I are on the same page,” Biden said. “He was very, very interested in what we were doing to deal with some of the crises that we are facing, particularly in Israel this time around.”
Biden is only the second Catholic to hold the office of President in the U.S.
He said during the economy-focused event on Monday that he laid out what his game plan was with the Middle East and how the U.S. “should be providing the kind of assistance to Israel that they needed.”
“And the pope was across the board supportive of what we’re doing,” he added.
LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL AT WAR WITH HAMAS
Last week, Francis urged the world to take “only one side” in the Israel-Hamas war – the one “of peace.”
When speaking to his weekly audience, Francis said, “War does not solve any problem, it only sows death and destruction, increases hatred, multiplies revenge. War erases the future,” Reuters reported.
“I urge believers to take only one side in this conflict, that of peace, but not with words but with prayer and total dedication,” he reportedly said.
The pope has also called for the release of over 200 hostages and more humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians.
But Biden has said he supports Israel’s right to fight Hamas, while also requesting $14.3 billion from Congress to arm Israel’s military to fend off attacks and fight back.
Greg Norman of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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