UNITED STATES: Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, will hear calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when he meets the Middle East foreign ministers in Jordan on Saturday, as per Jordan’s foreign ministry.
The ministry stated in a statement on Friday that Palestinian representatives, along with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, will emphasise the “Arab stance calling for an immediate ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid, and ways of ending the dangerous deterioration that threatens the security of the region.”
Israel launched attacks on Hamas-controlled Gaza in response to an October 7 raid by Hamas militants that resulted in casualties and hostages. The civilian death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 9,000, and the humanitarian situation in the enclave has become increasingly dire.
After his earlier meetings with Israeli leaders, Blinken, who arrived in Jordan on Friday, stated that the U.S. was determined to prevent the escalation of a second or third front in the conflict. He also called on Israel to implement measures to safeguard civilians in Gaza.
Prior to their discussions with Blinken, the Arab ministers will convene for a meeting, as mentioned in the statement.
In a phone call on Friday, King Abdullah informed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that, in order to protect people in Gaza, the international community urgently needed to advocate for a quick ceasefire, according to the royal court.
The King also conveyed that Israel’s military campaign was unlikely to achieve its goals and stressed that the sole route to lasting peace is through the revival of negotiations for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Negotiations, brokered by the U.S., aimed at achieving a “two-state solution” for Palestinian independence in territories occupied by Israel, have been at a standstill for nearly a decade.
Jordan, which borders Israel and the West Bank, is a staunch supporter of the United States. Fearing that the crisis might spread, Amman has bolstered border security and made requests to Washington for the deployment of Patriot air defence systems.
King Abdullah has voiced his apprehension that the Gaza conflict may trigger a new wave of displacement of Palestinians to Jordan, a nation that already hosts a significant population of Palestinians who were displaced from their homeland during the creation of Israel in 1948.
Also Read: Israel Claims That a Top Hamas Commander Killed in a Strike on a Gaza Camp: Report
