Halting Gaza war 1st step towards regional de-escalation, Jordan’s king says

AMMAN, Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah II said Thursday that halting the Israeli war on Gaza will be the first step towards regional de-escalation.

This came during the monarch’s meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Red Sea city of Aqaba, according to a royal court statement.

Blinken’s visit to Jordan is part of a regional tour that also includes Türkiye for talks on the situation in Gaza and Syria.

“The first step towards reaching comprehensive regional calm is by halting the Israeli war on Gaza,” Abdullah said, calling for “urgent and serious action by the international community.”

Discussions between the two sides addressed efforts to enhance humanitarian responses in the war-torn Gaza Strip, the statement said.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip that has killed over 44,800 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 last year.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

Turning to the situation in Syria, the Jordanian king reiterated his country’s respect for the choices of the Syrian people.

“There is a need to safeguard Syria’s security and the safety of its citizens,” he added.

Anti-regime forces seized the capital Damascus on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and 53 years of his family rule.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio