Jordan’s King Abdullah II urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to press for a ceasefire in Gaza and end the humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory as the war continues. has been going on for months and continues to rage.
The king met Blinken on Sunday in Amman, the Jordanian capital, and warned him of the “catastrophic repercussions” of continuing the war that began three months ago, the royal palace said.
At least 22,835 people have been killed – including 9,600 children – in the Israeli attack on Gaza since October 7, according to Palestinian officials. At least 1,139 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, according to Israeli authorities.
The king reiterated “the important role of the United States in pushing for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the protection of civilians and the guarantee of the delivery” of medical and humanitarian aid , indicated the royal palace.
Blinken, who began a week-long trip across the Middle East on Friday aimed at easing tensions in the region and ensuring the war does not spread, arrived in Jordan from Turkey and Greece, where he noted there was “real concern” about the situation. Israel-Lebanon border.
“We want to do everything we can to make sure we don’t see an escalation” and to avoid an “endless cycle of violence,” he said.
Today in Amman, I met with His Majesty King Abdullah II to discuss efforts to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. I thanked him for his leadership in providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in Gaza. The conflict must not spread further in the region. pic.twitter.com/ya5FvABxjJ
– Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) January 7, 2024
After his visit to Jordan, Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the occupied West Bank, where he will convey the message that Washington does not want a regional escalation of the conflict at Gaza.
America’s top diplomat also hopes to advance negotiations on how Gaza could be governed after the war.
The future of Gaza
Earlier on Sunday, Blinken met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who discussed a future scenario that would bring together the West Bank and Gaza as the basis of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, according to a statement of the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Gaza Strip. Expatriates.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and King Abdullah reaffirmed the need for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue and emphasized Jordan’s “total rejection” of any forced displacement of Palestinians of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Washington also insists on a two-state solution, a solution rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, some of whose cabinet members have also called on Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave.
A senior U.S. State Department official traveling with the top diplomat told Reuters that Blinken would continue to pressure hesitant Muslim nations to prepare to play a role in the reconstruction, governance and security of Gaza.
The U.S. delegation aims to gather Arab states’ views on the future of Gaza before conveying those positions to Israel, the official said, acknowledging that there would be a significant gap between the positions of the different parties.
Humanitarian crisis
After meeting with Jordanian officials, Blinken visited the World Food Program’s regional coordination warehouse near the Jordanian capital and stressed that “it is imperative” to “maximize assistance to those in need,” channeling aid and distributing it effectively.
Inside the warehouse, filled with pallets of canned food, the top U.N. official in Jordan, Sheri Ritsema-Anderson, described the situation in Gaza as unlike anything she had seen during 15 years in the Middle East.
It’s “catastrophic,” she told reporters.
Blinken said the United States was working to keep aid routes to the Gaza Strip open and to increase them.
“We are intensely focused on the very difficult and even deteriorating food situation of men, women and children in Gaza, and this is something we are working on 24/7.”