Jordan King Insists Palestinians Must Remain on Their Land

 King Abdullah II of Jordan arrives at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP)
King Abdullah II of Jordan arrives at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP)
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Jordan King Insists Palestinians Must Remain on Their Land

 King Abdullah II of Jordan arrives at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP)
King Abdullah II of Jordan arrives at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP)

Jordan's King Abdullah II said Wednesday that Palestinians must remain on their land, after US President Donald Trump floated an idea for Gazans to move to Jordan and Egypt.

He stressed during meetings in Brussels "Jordan's firm position on the need to keep the Palestinians on their land and to guarantee their legitimate rights, in accordance with the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution", the royal palace said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from Gaza, which he called a "demolition site" following 15 months of Israeli bombardment that made most of its people homeless.

The war, set off by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their count.  

The fighting has obliterated vast areas of Gaza, displacing some 90% of its 2.3 million population, often multiple times. During its attack, Hamas took 250 people hostage and killed roughly 1,200.  

The theme of displacement has been recurrent in Palestinian history and the idea of staying steadfast on one's land is an integral element of the Palestinian identity. Palestinians fear that if they leave their land, they may never be allowed to return.  

Those fears have been compounded by far-right members of Israel's government who support rebuilding Jewish settlements in Gaza, from which Israel withdrew troops and settlers from in 2005. Netanyahu says that idea is unrealistic.  

Egypt and Jordan have each made peace with Israel but support the creation of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. They fear that the permanent displacement of Gaza’s population could make that impossible. 



Iraqi Oil Minister: Kurdistan Region's Oil Exports to Resume Next Week

A view shows the al-Shuaiba oil refinery in southwest Basra, Iraq April 20, 2017. Reuters
A view shows the al-Shuaiba oil refinery in southwest Basra, Iraq April 20, 2017. Reuters
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Iraqi Oil Minister: Kurdistan Region's Oil Exports to Resume Next Week

A view shows the al-Shuaiba oil refinery in southwest Basra, Iraq April 20, 2017. Reuters
A view shows the al-Shuaiba oil refinery in southwest Basra, Iraq April 20, 2017. Reuters

Oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region will resume next week, Iraq's oil minister said on Monday, resolving a near two-year dispute as ties between Baghdad and Erbil improve.
The oil flows were halted by Türkiye in March 2023 after the International Chamber of Commerce ordered Ankara to pay Baghdad damages of $1.5 billion for unauthorized pipeline exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government between 2014 and 2018.

"Tomorrow, a delegation from the Ministry of Oil... will visit the Kurdish region to negotiate the mechanism for receiving oil from the region and exporting it. The export process will resume within a week," Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani told reporters.

According to Reuters, he added that Baghdad would receive 300,000 barrels per day from the region.

Erbil-based Rudaw TV earlier cited Kurdistan's natural resources minister, Kamal Mohammed, as saying oil exports could resume before March as all legal procedures have been completed.

The Iraqi parliament approved a budget amendment this month to subsidize production costs for international oil companies operating in Kurdistan, a move aimed at unblocking northern oil exports.

The resumption is expected to ease economic pressure in the Kurdistan region, where the halt has led to salary delays for public sector workers and cuts to essential services.