De-escalation: An emergency imperative

With the outbreak of an unprecedented war between Israel and the Palestinians, Arab, regional and international partners are urged to step up communications to halt the dangerous escalation between the two sides.

The situation between the Palestinians and the Israelis has been steadily deteriorating day by day since the outbreak of the war on Saturday. Violence and bloodshed only beget more death and misery to the region. Escalation from both sides needs to cease immediately to protect civilian life and spare the region from enduring the long-term consequence of this war.

His Majesty King Abdullah has been warning for years on regional and international arenas that peace and stability cannot be reached without a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Since the eruption of the war, Jordan has been in relentless communication with regional and international partners to rally urgent action for de-escalation. 

In a series of phone calls with heads of state, the UN and EU chiefs to address the deteriorating situation between the Palestinians and the Israelis, King Abdullah reiterated that the region will not enjoy peace in the absence of a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Serious mediation efforts are the need of the hour to de-escalate the situation and prevent the region from the lasting ramifications of this war.

This unfortunate, intensified war is yet another stark reminder that peace, security and prosperity in the region cannot be achieved without resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict first — the root cause of all crises in the region.