BERLIN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, adding that the escalating humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.
“That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt,” King Abdullah said said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, according to state news agency Petra.
King Abdullah said leaders are resuming talks to stop the violence and allow the entry of aid into Gaza. He confirmed Tuesday that Jordan will host a four-way summit in Amman, hosting US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Biden is scheduled to head for Jordan after Israel, while the German chancellor is set to head for Israel after his meeting with Jordan’s king later Tuesday.
King Abdullah II warned of a dire situation in the Middle East if the conflict between Israel and Hamas is allowed to spread to other countries.
“The whole region is on the brink of falling into the abyss,” he added. “All our efforts are needed to make sure we don't get there,” he said.
Scholz also warned against an escalation.
“We have a common goal to prevent a conflagration in the region,” said Scholz.
“I once again expressly warn Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in this conflict,” he said.
During his meeting with Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, the king spoke about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the shortage of food, water and medicine. And he called for assurances that the medical sector could continue to treat sick and injured Palestinians amid the conflict, Petra reported.
King Abdullah also rejected any attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian people, and stressed that such action would plunge the region into another disaster and a new cycle of violence and destruction, Petra added.
He called for the respect of international humanitarian laws that guarantee the protection of civilians, and said work must be done to ensure a “just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
The two leaders also covered ways to improve bilateral ties, and the importance of maintaining coordination on developments in the region.
