Jordan's King Calls on Macron to Urge Israel End Gaza war

King Abdullah and President Macron during their meeting in Amman on Wednesday. (Reuters)
King Abdullah and President Macron during their meeting in Amman on Wednesday. (Reuters)
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Jordan's King Calls on Macron to Urge Israel End Gaza war

King Abdullah and President Macron during their meeting in Amman on Wednesday. (Reuters)
King Abdullah and President Macron during their meeting in Amman on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Jordan's King Abdullah II told French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday that ending the war on the Gaza Strip is an urgent necessity and warned there could otherwise be an "explosion" in the region.

In a royal court statement, the monarch told Macron Israel should be pressured by the international community to stop the war, protect the civilians, and end its siege of the Strip.

"We are against any attempt by Israel to create an exodus of Palestinians or internally displace the inhabitants of Gaza," King Abdullah stressed.

Moreover, they looked into international efforts in pursuit of an end to the cycle of violence, while reaching a political horizon that ends the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, guarantees security, and achieves just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

King Abdullah also warned of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the enclave, highlighting the importance of securing the delivery of humanitarian aid.

On Wednesday, the monarch also welcomed a delegation from the UK House of Commons, headed by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair MP Alicia Kearns, at Al Husseiniya Palace.

At the meeting, King Abdullah renewed his call for the immediate stop of the war on Gaza and the protection of civilians, highlighting the UK’s important role in pushing towards stopping the war and protecting vital and medical facilities in the strip.

He warned of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza, stressing the need for the delivery of humanitarian aid without interruption.

The King also warned against the catastrophic repercussions of the spillover of the war into the region.



Türkiye Says It Believes Kurdish Fighters Will Be Forced Out of All Syrian Territory

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler takes part in a NATO Defense Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler takes part in a NATO Defense Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Says It Believes Kurdish Fighters Will Be Forced Out of All Syrian Territory

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler takes part in a NATO Defense Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. (Reuters)
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler takes part in a NATO Defense Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 12, 2023. (Reuters)

Türkiye believes Syria's new rulers, including the Syrian National Army (SNA) armed group which Ankara backs, will drive Kurdish YPG fighters from all territory they occupy in northeastern Syria, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said on Sunday.

Türkiye regards the Syrian YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for 40 years and are deemed terrorists by Ankara, Washington, and the European Union.

The YPG spearheads an alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is backed by the United States and controls territory in northeastern Syria. Since the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago, Türkiye and Syrian groups it backs have fought against the SDF, seizing the city of Manbij.

"We believe that the new leadership in Syria and the Syrian National Army, which is an important part of its army, along with the Syrian people, will free all territories occupied by terrorist organizations," Guler said during a visit to Turkish troops on the Syrian border with military commanders.

"We will also take every necessary measure with the same determination until all terrorist elements beyond our borders are cleared," he said in a video released by his ministry.

Ankara has demanded the Syrian Kurdish fighters disband, and has called on Washington to withdraw its support. The US military acknowledged last week it has 2,000 troops on the ground in Syria, twice as many as it had said previously.

On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye would do "whatever it takes" to ensure its security if Syria's new administration was unable to address its concerns.