Gaza war should not be subject of inter-Arab disputes — PM

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Saturday reiterated the centrality of the Palestinian cause, underlining Jordan’s “unsurpassed political and diplomatic support for the Palestinians”.

Meeting with secretaries general of political parties on Saturday, the premier said the Arab nation is going through the most detrimental stage in its history and warned against the war on Gaza turning into a subject of inter-Arab disputes and divisions.

Ensour added that trading accusations at this time will not serve the Palestinians who are in dire need of unified Arab action to support their legitimate cause.

“Jordan’s position on the Palestinian issue has been unaltered and crystal clear and will remain so,” Ensour said.

The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Hussein Majali, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani and Political and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Khaled Kalaldeh.

Also on Saturday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh discussed, during a telephone conversation with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius, the “dangerous” escalation in Gaza and the efforts exerted to reach a ceasefire.

The two sides stressed the importance of supporting the Egyptian initiative to end the violence. Judeh reiterated Jordan’s stance, rejecting the frequent Israeli aggression against the strip.

Also on Saturday, Judeh spoke with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, to discuss the latest developments in the besieged enclave.

Judeh stressed that the only way to stop the Israeli attack and ensure it never happens again is through a political solution and a return to the negotiating table.

With the 12-hour ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel effective as of 8:00am on Saturday, many Palestinians in the coastal enclave rushed to Jordan’s military hospital to receive medication.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra,  interviewed a number of Palestinians in Gaza who thanked Jordan for the field hospital, describing it as a haven, not only for medication purposes but also as shelter from the intensified Israeli bombardment of their suburbs and houses. 

Colonel Suleiman Saudi, director of Jordan’s military field hospital, “Gaza 31”, said hospital staff  deals with hundreds of cases on a daily basis, adding that several surgeries have also been performed on patients suffering from critical injuries.