Safadi, Blinken address humanitarian crisis in Gaza

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday discussed the catastrophic situation in Gaza.

Safadi stressed the necessity for a durable ceasefire to halt the aggression that has resulted in loss of life, destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. 

He also underlined the urgency of the immediate, adequate and sustained delivery of humanitarian and medical assistance throughout the Gaza Strip, which is undergoing a humanitarian crisis due to  continued Israeli aggression and restricted access for sufficient aid.

Safadi warned of the consequences of the ongoing aggression, Israel's violations of international and humanitarian laws, and its escalation in the West Bank.

 He also stressed the need to halt all illegitimate and provocative Israeli actions that escalate the situation in the West Bank.

Safadi and Blinken concurred on the necessity of providing adequate aid to Gaza and rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians inside and outside the besieged strip.  They also underlined the need to allow displaced Gazans to return to their homes.

Safadi also stressed the "futility" of any future proposal that promotes the separation of Gaza from the West Bank outside the context of a comprehensive plan that fulfils the Palestinians' right to freedom and an independent sovereign state on the June 4, 1967  borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution.

Both ministers agreed to remain in contact to discuss efforts to halt war, the delivery of aid and the protection of civilians. They also called for genuine and effective efforts to end the conflict and achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution.  The discussions also covered bilateral and regional issues.