Jordan’s Field Hospital in Gaza awaits vital supplies — PM

AMMAN — The Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza, despite its recent inability to provide medical services due to difficult circumstances, will continue to operate in its current location in the strip,  Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said on Sunday.

The military field hospital has maintained its presence in Gaza for approximately two decades, with dedicated staff prepared to resume services as soon as they receive the necessary medical supplies, which are currently inaccessible, he said, noting that this demonstrates Jordan's commitment to providing assistance and relief to the people of Gaza.

Expressing the Kingdom's rejection of forced displacement, the prime minister emphasised that any forced displacement of populations is a clear red line for Jordan and the broader Arab region, noting that such actions are regarded as a war crime under international law. 

The primary objective is to halt the ongoing aggression and military operations enabling the establishment of humanitarian aid corridors and the revival of political solutions, he said.

Since the beginning of the attacks on civilians in Gaza, His Majesty King Abdullah has been actively working to coordinate international efforts aimed at stopping the escalating and flagrant aggression against the civilians in Gaza, he added.

He pointed to His Majesty’s current visit to four European capitals, London, Rome, Berlin and Paris, highlighting the King’s communications with world leaders in recent days aimed at ensuring immediate implementation of international humanitarian law, upholding shared humanitarian values and safeguarding innocent civilians.

“Silence is not an acceptable option in the face of war and systematic destruction endured by our people in Gaza,” he said. The PM reiterated that the international community must address the war on Gaza according to established criteria and condemn the widespread killing of Palestinian people, just as it has condemned the killing of Israeli civilians.

Khasawneh highlighted that a political solution aimed at ending the conflict within the framework of the two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign Palestinian State based on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the sole solution that can ensure peace and regional stability.

Highlighting Jordan's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, he said that His Majesty King Abdullah had issued directives to dispatch essential aid, noting that as an immediate response to this call, the first humanitarian aid plane from Jordan landed at El Arish airport in Egypt under the supervision of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

The sent assistance is currently under the care of the Red Crescent, awaiting delivery to Gaza, he noted.

Khasawneh stressed that the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation is taking the lead in delivering humanitarian aid from Jordan to Gaza, noting that any monetary or in-kind contributions by citizens, organisations or institutions are directed to this organisation, which will be responsible for delivering them to Gaza.

In accordance with the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah, and in recognition of the serious challenges facing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in funding its operations in the Gaza Strip, the Cabinet approved a donation of JD3 million to the agency. 

The Council of Ministers approved the Health Ministry's decision to donate half a million dinars’ worth medical equipment and medications for Palestinians in Gaza and Palestine, he added.

Assuring the public of their full freedom to express their solidarity with Gazans, who are experiencing harrowing scenes, the premier stressed that the space for expressing such solidarity will remain open. 

He underlined the government's duty to protect its citizens, in particular by discouraging gatherings near border areas, as these regions pose challenges, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.