Jordan's King meets Blinken: Urges immediate Gaza cease-fire, highlights humanitarian crisis
During a Tuesday visit to the U.S., Jordan’s King Abdullah II emphasized the urgent need to halt Israel’s military action in Gaza and ensure civilian safety.
"The international community, especially influential countries, must intervene to prevent further conflict escalation in the region," King Abdullah stated in a Washington, D.C. meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as per a royal court announcement.
He expressed Jordan's firm opposition to any Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians, retake parts of Gaza, or create buffer zones there.
The king also highlighted the grave consequences of an Israeli assault on Rafah, home to 1.5 million people.
Starting a tour across the U.S., Canada, France, and Germany, the king aims to garner support for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
Since Hamas's incursion on October 7 last year, Israel has intensively bombarded Gaza.
The conflict has resulted in at least 28,473 Palestinian deaths and 68,146 injuries, with nearly 1,200 Israelis reportedly killed by Hamas.
The UN reports that the war has displaced 85% of Gaza's residents due to severe shortages of food, water, and medicine, and has damaged or destroyed 60% of the area's infrastructure.
Israel faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands, which, in a January preliminary ruling, demanded Israel cease genocidal acts and ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza's civilians.
