In his meeting with Secretary of State Tony Blinken today in Amman, Jordan’s King Abdullah II elaborated several key points of the only policy he said would work in preventing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from escalating and from unleashing a major humanitarian disaster. Humanitarian work by international agencies must be allowed to continue in the Gaza Strip, he said, to prevent any further deterioration of the situation or its spillover into the West Bank. Any attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinians from all Palestinian territories or to cause their internal displacement, is unacceptable, he said. Every effort must be made to prevent a worsening refugee crisis.
Of course, Israel’s policy toward Gaza, as it is now designed, is intended to produce the result King Abdullah is warning of.
The King also warned very strongly against inflicting “collective punishment” against the residents of Gaza; innocent civilians on all sides must be protected, in line with international law and international humanitarian law. More importantly, he emphasized, the basis must be laid to guarantee prospects for a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution to prevent the eruption of more cycles of violence and war in the region. He strongly urged a continued commitment to preserve and protect the historical and legal status quo in Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem which, he said, have been safeguarded by continued efforts under the Hashemite Custodianship.
