Amman – King Abdullah II of Jordan warned, on Tuesday, of a military operation in Rafah, and the impact of the war on Gaza on expanding the circle of conflict in the region.
This came during his meeting with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in the capital, Amman, according to a statement from the Royal Court, a copy of which Anadolu received.
The statement stated that King Abdullah reiterated “the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
He stressed “the importance of immediate action to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, and the necessity of protecting innocent civilians.”
The King pointed out “the necessity of continuing to deliver humanitarian, relief and medical aid to the Gaza Strip in a sustainable manner and through all available means.”
He warned of “the danger of any military operation in Rafah,” warning that “the catastrophic effects of the war in Gaza may expand to include areas in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the entire region.”
The King of Jordan stressed the importance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as it is “a lifeline for regarding 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, in addition to providing basic services to Palestinian refugees in its places of work.”
He reaffirmed “the importance of the United States’ role in creating a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), as it is the only way to guarantee the security of the Palestinians, Israelis, and the entire region,” according to the same statement.
On Sunday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Blinken will extend his tour in the Middle East to visit Jordan and Israel following Saudi Arabia, as part of efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that guarantees the release of Israeli prisoners.
This is Blinken’s seventh Middle Eastern tour since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, according to the US State Department statement.
On Monday, Blinken participated in a meeting with a number of his Arab counterparts, on the sidelines of the Economic Forum in Riyadh.
Blinken’s visit comes in light of movements led by Egypt to reach an agreement between Israel and the faction movement, based on new proposals in order to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza and an exchange of prisoners and detainees between the two parties.
The new proposal coincides with Tel Aviv’s insistence on launching a military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border and crowded with displaced persons, despite international fears and warnings, under the pretext that it is “the last stronghold of Hamas.”
Since October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza with American support, leaving tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, a humanitarian catastrophe and massive infrastructure destruction, which led to Tel Aviv being brought before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing “genocide.”
Anatolia
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2024-05-01 11:40:39
