As part of efforts to stop the Israel-Hamas war, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday met Jordan's King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and visited a World Food Program (WFP) warehouse in Amman. In his fourth visit to the region in three months, Blinken discussed the importance of drawing up detailed plans for a post-conflict future.
At the same time, he stressed the need for Israel to implement its military operations precisely to reduce the number of deaths and increase the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza. After a day of talks with Turkish and Greek leaders in Istanbul and Crete, Blinken met with Jordan's king and Foreign Minister Safadi on Sunday. Blinken urged them to join US efforts to avoid the risk of the war spreading to other regions.
Warning of dire consequences of Gaza war
Abdullah II warned of the dire consequences of the Gaza war and called on the US to press for an immediate ceasefire. Jordan and other Arab countries have been critical of Israel's retaliatory actions and avoided public support for a long-term plan. He argues that the fighting in Gaza must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding an immediate ceasefire since October as the number of casualties continues to rise. Israel has refused to stop the war campaign.
WFP warehouse also visited
Blinken also visited WFP's regional coordination warehouse in the Jordanian capital, where arrangements are being made to transport aid to Gaza via both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom routes. He praised the work of WFP and other UN agencies, as well as the Government of Jordan, in delivering aid to Gaza.
humanitarian aid to gaza
The US has been pressuring Israel for weeks to supply more food, water, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza, and the UN Security Council passed a resolution on December 22 calling for an immediate increase in supplies. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that Blinken and the King of Jordan agreed to continue their close coordination to provide continued humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Blinken in Saudi Arabia today
After Jordan, Blinken left for Qatar, he will go to Saudi Arabia today. He will visit Israel and the West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday. Blinken said in Greece on Saturday that this is not going to be an easy conversation. There are different viewpoints, different needs, different requirements, but it is important that we engage in this diplomacy for the sake of Gaza, for the Israelis and the Palestinians and for the future of the region as a whole.
No comments:
Post a Comment