Jordan’s King Abdullah II ruled out allowing Palestinian refugees fleeing northern Gaza to enter his country or Egypt, calling it a “red line” amid a diplomatic campaign to establish safe zones within the besieged enclave.
At a news conference after meeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Tuesday, Abdullah categorically rejected the idea of offering Gazans free passage to neighboring countries.
“There will be no refugees in Jordan and no refugees in Egypt,” the king declared, adding that the humanitarian situation must be contained within Gaza and the West Bank.
“That’s a red line, because I think that’s the plan of some of the usual suspects to try to create de facto problems on the ground,” Abdullah added.
He was apparently referring to Israel’s calls for some 1.1 million Gazans to head south toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of Israel’s imminent ground offensive.
King Abdullah II of Jordan ruled out the possibility of allowing Palestinian refugees fleeing northern Gaza to enter his country or Egypt.REUTERS
Fearing an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees into its country, Egypt has resisted pressure to open the crossing, including to allow passage to foreigners and Palestinians with dual nationality, until humanitarian aid is allowed to reach Gaza.
As part of international diplomatic efforts to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians trapped in Gaza, a bipartisan group of members of the US Congress has called on Egypt to establish and maintain safe zones in the southern part of the strait enclave that is home to more than 2 million of people. .
The safe zones, Democrats and Republicans wrote in a letter to Egyptian Ambassador to the United States Motaz Zahran, cited by Axios, should include “humanitarian access corridors for civilians seeking refuge from the fighting in the north of the country.” [Gaza] Band.”
Abdullah added that the humanitarian situation must be contained within Gaza and the West Bank. AFP via Getty Images
During a whirlwind tour of Arab nations last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke in favor of the creation of “safe zones” in Gaza. He said he was working with UN agencies, Israel and other governments in the region to implement the plan.
“We have urged Israelis to use every precaution possible to prevent harm to civilians,” Blinken said. “We recognize that many Palestinian families in Gaza are suffering through no fault of their own and that Palestinian civilians have lost their lives.”
Jordan’s monarch on Tuesday issued a dire warning that allowing the war to spread could have disastrous consequences for the Middle East.
Members of the US Congress have called on Egypt to establish and maintain safe zones in Gaza. AFP via Getty Images
“The entire region is on the brink of falling into the abyss,” Abdullah said. “All of our efforts are necessary to make sure we don’t get there.”
Scholz, who will travel to Israel later today, also warned against an escalation of hostilities.
“We have the common objective of avoiding a conflagration in the region,” said the chancellor. “Once again I expressly warn Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in this conflict.”
Israel has called for some 1.1 million Gazans to head south toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt ahead of its imminent ground offensive. AFP via Getty Images
Jordan will host a quadrilateral summit in Amman on Wednesday with President Biden and Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss the “dangerous” implications of the war in Gaza for the region, state media said.
Discussions would focus on ways to stop “the ongoing war in Gaza and ways to find a political horizon that will allow the revival of the peace process,” according to an official statement.
King Abdullah will also hold a separate summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
With postal cables
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Source: vtt.edu.vn