Jordan’s Foreign Minister Expresses Concerns Over Escalation in Israel-Hamas Conflict

The ongoing strife began on October 7 when the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas terrorist launched a violent incursion that resulted in the loss of 1,400 lives. In response, Israel initiated a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, causing casualties numbering in the thousands and rendering more than a million individuals homeless.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his German counterpart, Safadi cautioned that the war’s consequences would be “catastrophic,” emphasizing the necessity of “protecting the region from the danger of its expansion.”

He further stated, “All indications suggest that the worst is yet to come… The catastrophe will have painful repercussions in the coming periods.” He underscored the failure of diplomatic endeavours to bring an end to the conflict, contending, “The decision to end the war is not within our control; it lies with Israel, and we must exert all efforts to bring it to a conclusion.”

Fears of a broader conflagration loomed over the meeting between Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Thursday.

In a joint statement following their meeting, the two leaders expressed their rejection of forcibly displacing Palestinians and accused Israel of “imposing collective punishment” on Gaza’s inhabitants through the bombing of civilians in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack.

In Amman, Foreign Minister Safadi asserted that Jordan would employ “all means” to confront a mass displacement of Palestinians leading to significant changes in the region. He added, “We won’t accept such a solution. This is a red line and would be a declaration of war.”

The ongoing conflict has revived long-standing concerns in Jordan, home to a substantial population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. Many are apprehensive that an expanded conflict could provide Israel with an opportunity to implement a transfer policy involving the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank.

Jordan, which shares a border with the West Bank, received a significant number of Palestinians who fled or were displaced from their homes when Israel was established. Safadi affirmed, “We won’t allow Israel to export the crisis it created to Jordan.”