King Abdullah on Gaza: 'No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt'
World
King Abdullah said that the humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank
BERLIN (Reuters) – Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, adding that the humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.
"That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt," King Abdullah said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
Earlier, King Abdullah met with Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin and said that thousands of Palestinians are at risk if Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continues, and may push the entire region into a new cycle of violence.
The king also spoke about the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the shortage of food, water and medicine. And he called for assurances that the medical sector could continue to treat sick and injured Palestinians amid the conflict, state news agency Petra reported.
King Abdullah also rejected any attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian people, and stressed that such action would plunge the region into another disaster and a new cycle of violence and destruction, Petra added.
King Abdullah also called for the respect of international humanitarian laws that guarantee the protection of civilians, and said work must be done to ensure a “just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
The two leaders also covered ways to improve bilateral ties, and the importance of maintaining coordination on developments in the region.
