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While meeting Jordan’s King Abdullah Blinken, he demanded an end to the conflict in Israel.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II reaffirmed his support for a cease-fire between Israel and the militant organization Hamas during a Sunday meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a week-long tour to the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East to negotiate the next stages of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“His Majesty King Abdullah, during a meeting on Sunday with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, warned of the catastrophic ramifications of the continued war on Gaza, stressing the need to end the tragic humanitarian crisis in the Strip,” the monarch’s office said in a statement.
Abdullah emphasized the “important role” that the United States plays in “pushing for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and civilian protection while ensuring the long-term delivery of sufficient humanitarian and relief aid to the Strip,” according to the Court.
The Jordanian leader went on to explain that there would be no regional stability without a “just and comprehensive peace on the basis of a two-state solution,” and reaffirmed Jordan’s opposition to splitting Gaza and the West Bank.
Jordan, along with other Arab governments, has repeatedly criticised Israel’s conduct in Gaza, asking for a cease-fire since mid-October as the death toll in the coastal enclave has risen, the Associated Press said. According to AFP News, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza confirmed on Sunday that at least 22,835 people had been killed in the coastal enclave since early October.
Blinken emphasised that Palestinians and Israelis “equally deserve to live safely and securely, and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” according to a spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Jordan.
In his discussion with Abdullah II, as well as separate talks with Turkish and Greek officials on Saturday, Blinken warned against the violence expanding farther into the area.
The battle between Israel and Hamas has lasted for over three months, after Hamas’ Oct. 7 raid that killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped 240 more.
The United States has given Israel unflinching backing in its struggle against Hamas since the group’s Oct. 7 attack, but it has recently increased appeals on Israel to reduce civilian fatalities in Gaza. U.S. officials have also urged Israel to let more food, water, gasoline, and medication into Gaza. However, humanitarian leaders have cautioned that assistance supplies have not increased sufficiently.
King Abdullah II of Jordan is due in Kigali.
According to reports, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein is likely to visit Rwanda for the first time and have meetings aimed at improving bilateral relations between the two nations. Jordan and Rwanda had previously established links based on accords such as the waiver of visas for both residents, awaiting the creation of Rwanda’s diplomatic presence in Jordan, which was announced in 2023. ALSO READ: Rwanda, Jordan will waive visa requirements for regular passports. King Abdullah II is due to arrive in Kigali on Sunday, January 7, to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi and have bilateral discussions with President Paul Kagame. Rwanda and Jordan pledged to strengthening bilateral ties in February 2023, when Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta welcomed Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to Kigali.At the time, they signed three cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in the areas of political consultations, higher education, health and medical sciences, and visa waivers for diplomatic, service, and special passports. Kagame’s most recent visit to Jordan was in March 2022, when he was welcomed by King Abdullah II for a bilateral meeting to examine ways to strengthen current military and security cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism through information and knowledge exchange. ALSO READ: Kagame and King Abdullah of Jordan meet. In 2015, Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein initiated the Aqaba Process to address interrelated counter-terrorism and violent extremist concerns through informal meetings around three major themes: prevention, coordination, and ‘filling in the gaps.’ Jordan is located in Western Asia and has borders with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Israel. It has a size of 89,342 square kilometres and a population of approximately 11.4 million.
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