Jordanian King Abdullah II warned Friday in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken against displacing Palestinians as Israel readies a major offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks.
“The crisis should not be spread to neighbouring countries and exacerbate the refugee issue,” the king told Blinken, according to a palace statement.
US officials are working with Egypt, which borders the Gaza Strip, on a plan for a safety corridor as Israel prepares a major ground offensive.
Jordan is already home to two million Palestinian refugees and is sensitive to any turbulence to its west.
In the talks with Blinken, the Jordanian king, a longtime US partner, called for “opening humanitarian corridors to allow for the entry of urgent medical and relief aid to Gaza, and protecting civilians and stopping the escalation and war on Gaza,” the court statement said.
