The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, warned this Sunday during his meeting with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that if Israel continues attacking Gaza there could be an “explosion” of the conflict throughout the region. “Israel’s continuation of its horrific war against Gaza and its illegal violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem will lead to an explosion of the situation in the entire region,” he said, in statements reproduced by the Jordanian news agency Petra.
Von der Leyen held meetings this weekend with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, and with the Jordanian king to discuss post-conflict scenarios in Gaza and seek formulas to increase the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Both countries have good relations with Israel, but are concerned that the conflict will spill over their borders or that Tel Aviv will pressure to transfer some Palestinian refugees to their countries. Cairo and Amman have strongly condemned the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and have repeatedly called for a ceasefire.
For her part, Von der Leyen stressed that “it is necessary to break the cycle of violence” and condemned the “unacceptable violence of extremists in the West Bank”, alluding to attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which have increased in this territory and in Jerusalem. since last October 7. Von der Leyen appreciated Amman’s political efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue and reiterated the EU’s position of achieving peace on the basis of the “two-state solution”, while underlining the importance of preserving the historical status and legal of Jerusalem. The Jordanian monarch reiterated that global powers should help force Israel to comply with international law to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure that the uninterrupted flow of aid to the Strip is allowed.
Meanwhile, in Qatar, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, met with the Qatari Prime Minister, Abdulrahman al Thani, as part of his tour of the Middle East to discuss future scenarios after the war in Gaza. During the press conference, Al Thani stated that he is confident that an agreement can be reached soon on the hostages held in Gaza and noted that the challenges in reaching it are “very minor.”
The Qatari prime minister thus contradicted the recent statements of his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, who said last night that “for the moment” there is no agreement and that most of the information on the issue “is incorrect.” “The sticking points (over the release of hostages) are more practical and logistical… there has been good progress in recent days,” Al Thani said. For his part, Borrell thanked Qatar for its mediation work and noted that the EU “is also putting pressure on both parties to make this agreement possible.” “I want to recognize Qatar’s personal commitment in the release of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia and also in mediating prisoner exchange agreements in Iran,” he stressed.
Regarding the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Al Thani criticized that “Israel does not respect any law or international convention” and called the Israeli siege and evacuation of the Al Shifa hospital a “crime”, where Tel Aviv claims that Hamas hides tunnels that lead to one of the organization’s headquarters. Borrell stressed that “one horror does not justify another horror,” alluding to the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent Israeli offensive, and reiterated that “a two-state solution is the only way out.”
“I am aware that a two-state solution will require an incredible effort not only economically but also political investment to build a State,” Borrell described. “This is where the Palestinian Authority (which now governs the West Bank) has an important role to play. Palestinians deserve dignity, Israel deserves security and both deserve to live in peace and security on the same land,” he added.
