King warns against Gaza escalation

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah warned against the “dangerous” escalation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which he said would deepen the suffering of Palestinians and fail peace efforts. 

He made his remarks late Thursday at a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden, during which he added that the recent developments hamper the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli talks based on the two-state solution and according to the international terms of references and the Arab Peace Initiative, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King also warned against the “vacuum” which resulted from the halt of negotiations on final-status issues according to the two-state solution, which will cause more violence. 

The two sides had identical views on the need to fight terrorist groups and examined the latest situation in the region, especially in Syria and Iraq. 

The Monarch called for creating a suitable atmosphere to arrive at a comprehensive political solution for the Syrian crisis, stressing the need to meet the basic needs of Syrians by providing them with humanitarian aid and increase the international community’s support to Syrian refugees’ host countries. 

Regarding the situation in Iraq, King Abdullah underlined Jordan’s commitment to the safety of Iraq and the unity of its people, calling for a massive political operation that involves all segments of Iraqi society to overcome the current circumstances and reach consensus on main issues. 

For his part, Biden underscored the US’ commitment to enhancing strategic cooperation with the Kingdom and resuming coordination vis-à-vis different regional issues, according to the statement.