Jordan Warns Blinken against Displacement of Palestinians

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Amman. (Petra – dpa)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Amman. (Petra – dpa)
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Jordan Warns Blinken against Displacement of Palestinians

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Amman. (Petra – dpa)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Amman. (Petra – dpa)

Jordanian King Abdullah II warned Friday in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken against Israeli attempts to displace Palestinians.

“The crisis (between Hamas and Israel in Gaza) should not spread to neighboring countries and exacerbate the refugee issue,” King Abdullah told Blinken, according to a palace statement.

In the talks with Blinken, the Jordanian king 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 statement said.

He also cautioned against adopting a policy of collective punishment towards the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, affirming the necessity of protecting innocent civilians from both sides, in line with common humanitarian values, international law, and international humanitarian law.

The King highlighted the importance of allowing international organizations to carry out their humanitarian duties in Gaza without hindrance.

He reiterated the importance of building a political horizon to ensure opportunities for achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and preventing further cycles of violence and wars in the region.

Moreover, the King emphasized the significance of preserving the existing historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem and pointed to the continued protection and care of these sanctities under Hashemite custodianship.

In the same context, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday met with Blinken and discussed efforts to de-escalate and end the war in Gaza.

Safadi stressed the need to address the humanitarian repercussions and the danger of its continuation and expansion across the region.

Safadi urged the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and ending the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Strip. He emphasized that protecting civilians on both sides and condemning their targeting and killing is a collective legal, moral, and humanitarian responsibility.

The Jordanian warnings expressed by the King follow concerns expressed by official sources to Asharq Al-Awsat of a possible deterioration in the West Bank.

These sources stressed the urgency of refraining from the expansion of the Israeli aggression on Palestinians and sparing the innocents more killing.

Jordan is aware of the American and Western support to Israel that falls under “the right of self-defense” following the Al-Aqsa Storm operation that was launched by “Hamas”. This pushed Amman to gradually level up its rhetoric against the Israeli far-right policies that are making use of international support to Tel Aviv in order to achieve their ambitions.

In the meantime, hundreds of protesters rallied in the Jordanian capital amid high security presence. Jordanian police forcibly dispersed dozens of protesters who tried to reach a border zone.

The Public Security Directorate (PSD) called on Jordanians to adhere to the instructions on assembly sites and not to attempt to bypass them, stressing the implementation of the law and preventing anyone from trespassing or bypassing them.

The statement noted that a few tried to come into contact with the security men, urging them to adhere to the places of assembly and protest that have been designated for them to stand and deliver their message and exercise their right to do so without any violation of the law and instructions issued in this regard.

Amman is imposing a security cordon in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in to prevent the protesters from reaching it.

It further fears that the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood that is unlicensed in the country, would exploit the people’s anger.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed on Thursday that, out of its concern for the safety of citizens and to ensure the legitimate right to express their national feelings about what is happening in Palestinian territories, calls for gatherings and demonstrations in the Jordan Valley and border areas are not allowed.

The security agencies will take all necessary measures to prevent this, according to the ministry.



US-backed Gaza Aid Group to Halt Distribution on Wednesday, UN to Vote on Ceasefire Demand 

Israeli shelling hits an area in the northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
Israeli shelling hits an area in the northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
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US-backed Gaza Aid Group to Halt Distribution on Wednesday, UN to Vote on Ceasefire Demand 

Israeli shelling hits an area in the northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
Israeli shelling hits an area in the northern of Gaza Strip as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)

The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not give out any aid on Wednesday as it presses Israel to boost civilian safety beyond the perimeter of its distribution sites, a day after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed.

The GHF said it has asked the Israeli military to "guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks" near military perimeters; develop clearer guidance for civilians; and enhance training to support civilian safety.

"Our top priority remains ensuring the safety and dignity of civilians receiving aid," said a GHF spokesperson. An Israeli military spokesperson warned civilians against moving in areas leading to GHF sites on Wednesday, deeming them "combat zones".

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it opened fire on a group of people it viewed as a threat near a GHF food aid distribution site. The International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 27 people were killed and dozens injured. The GHF said the incident was "well beyond" its site.

Palestinians who collected food GHF boxes on Tuesday described scenes of pandemonium, with no-one overseeing the handover of supplies or checking IDs, as crowds jostled for aid.

The UN Security Council is also set to vote on Wednesday on a demand for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas and humanitarian access across Gaza, where aid has trickled amid chaos and bloodshed after Israel lifted an 11-week blockade on the enclave where famine looms.

"It is unacceptable. Civilians are risking – and in several instances losing – their lives just trying to get food," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday, adding that the aid distribution model backed by the US and Israel was "all a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what is going on."

That model is run by the newly created GHF, which started operations in the enclave a week ago and said on Tuesday that it has given out more than seven million meals from three so-called secure distribution sites. GHF Interim Executive Director John Acree urged humanitarians in Gaza: "Work with us and we will get your aid delivered to those who are depending on it."

US VETO?

The UN and other aid groups have refused to work with the GHF because they say it is not neutral and the distribution model militarizes aid. GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to get aid to the distribution sites.

It is the latest in a string of efforts to get more aid into the enclave, where experts say the entire population of some 2.1 million people is at risk of famine. Jordan last year spearheaded humanitarian air drops, while the US briefly installed a floating aid pier, but it was beset by challenges.

The UN has long-blamed Israel and lawlessness in the enclave for hindering the delivery of aid into Gaza and its distribution throughout the war zone. Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies.

Israel said on Tuesday that three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in northern Gaza. Gaza health officials said at least 18 more Palestinians were killed in other military strikes in the territory on Tuesday. Reuters could not independently verify the reports in northern and southern Gaza.

The 10 elected members of the UN Security Council have asked for the 15-member body to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."

The draft text, seen by Reuters, also demands the release of all hostages held by Hamas and others, and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the entry of aid and its safe and unhindered distribution, including by the UN, throughout Gaza.

"The time to act has already passed," Slovenia's UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told Reuters. "It is our historical responsibility not to remain silent."

As US President Donald Trump's administration tries to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, it was not immediately clear if Washington would veto the draft text. A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said: "We cannot preview our actions currently under consideration."

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain or France - to pass.

The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, which do not distinguish between fighters and non-combatants.