Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has paid tribute to Pope Francis, calling him a friend of Palestinians, AFP reports citing the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

“Today, we lost a faithful friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights,” Abbas said, adding that Francis “recognised the Palestinian state and authorised the Palestinian flag to be raised in the Vatican”.

Bassem Naim, a senior official from Hamas, hailed the pope’s opposition to the 18-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

“Pope Francis was a steadfast advocate for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly in his unwavering stance against the war and acts of genocide perpetrated against our people in Gaza in recent months,” Naim said in a statement.