Amidst renewed insistence by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the necessity of an incursion into Rafah, southern Gaza, to eliminate Hamas, King Abdullah II of Jordan has voiced serious concerns about the potential ramifications of such military actions.
In a Tuesday meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah warned of the “disastrous effects of the ongoing war in Gaza potentially spreading to the West Bank and Jerusalem, as well as the wider region,” according to a statement released by the Jordanian Royal Court on the platform “X.”
King Abdullah stressed the “immediate need for a ceasefire in Gaza and action to avert a humanitarian disaster.”
During his visit, Blinken urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal that includes a pause in hostilities in Gaza and the release of hostages. The movement is expected to respond soon.
Speaking to reporters in a suburb of Amman, Blinken emphasized, “No more delays, no more excuses. The time for action is now,” hoping to see the agreement implemented in the coming days, as reported by AFP.
When questioned about Netanyahu’s threats to proceed with a ground attack on Rafah, Blinken did not directly respond but highlighted that Washington’s focus remains on securing a ceasefire through Egyptian and Qatari mediation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu affirmed that Israel “will carry out its operation against Hamas in Rafah, whether or not an agreement regarding the hostages is reached.”
He also declared that “ending the war before achieving our objectives is not an option,” as quoted by him.
Moreover, he claimed that the evacuation of civilians from the southern city had begun, in preparation for a ground attack, according to Israeli news site Ynet.
However, Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, disclosed on Tuesday that Israeli forces have not yet asked Palestinian evacuees to leave Rafah.
These statements from Netanyahu come as Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Saturday announced that his country “might delay the planned incursion into Rafah if an agreement to release the Israeli hostages is reached.”
Numerous UN and relief organizations, along with most Western countries, led by the United States, Israel’s principal ally, have expressed concerns about the invasion of the city, which is home to over two million Palestinians displaced from various parts of northern and central Gaza.
The United Nations has repeatedly affirmed that there is no safe place in the entire Gaza Strip for the people of Rafah, while satellite images have shown hundreds of white tents being erected in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
