Ending the war on Gaza

His Majesty King Abdullah has called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, warning of the disastrous repercussions of the onslaught in the region. 

During talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Amman on Wednesday, he strongly condemned the Israeli attack, urging the international community to shoulder its responsibility by securing protection for Gazans.

The King is giving top priority to saving innocent lives during the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza that is taking a heavy toll on human life and destroying homes and basic infrastructure in the coastal enclave. 

In its capacity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Jordan has submitted a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and lifting the blockade on Gaza by opening the Rafah border crossing to facilitate the flow of food and medicines. 

The draft resolution also entails extending material support to the people of Gaza after having experienced the horrors of war for more than two weeks, during which more than 750 people have been killed and thousands injured. 

Jordan’s initiative, which received overwhelming support from other council members, also condemned the widespread Israeli violations of international humanitarian law, calling for protection of civilians and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. 

The draft resolution, therefore, lays the foundation for a balanced approach to the situation in Gaza by coupling the call for a ceasefire with vision for ending the root causes of the crisis. 

A UN Security Council resolution alone, however, is not enough to end the war on Gaza and achieve a truce that is durable and fair. 

Israel must show statesmanship by ending its onslaught on Gaza and by stopping its indiscriminate bombardment of civilian targets. 

Hamas must also manifest statesmanship by giving priority to saving lives and ending the state of siege being imposed on Gaza. 

Other considerations must be put aside for the time being, until the guns fall silent and the appropriate environment is created for settling all long-term issues in a peaceful manner.