King receives call from US president, urges immediate ceasefire in Gaza

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, in a phone call received from US President Joe Biden on Thursday, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of civilians, stressing the importance of maintaining strong coordination and exerting efforts to end the war and reach peace.

Discussions in the phone call also covered guaranteeing the delivery of sufficient humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza without delay, with His Majesty warning that the humanitarian situation will deteriorate further if military operations continue, according to a Royal Court statement.

The King reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinians within or outside Gaza, or any attempts to reoccupy any part of the Strip.

His Majesty warned of attempts to separate the West Bank from Gaza, as they jointly form the Palestinian state.

The phone call also covered the dangerous developments in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the importance of maintaining calm, with the King warning that the dangerous Israeli escalation and the violence committed by extremist settlers against Palestinians could expand the conflict and create chaos in the West Bank.

His Majesty said the United States has a leading role to play in pushing towards a political horizon for the Palestinian issue, to reach peace on the basis of the two-state solution.