King Abdullah II Reassures Abbas on Palestinian Cause

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday in Amman (AFP)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday in Amman (AFP)
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King Abdullah II Reassures Abbas on Palestinian Cause

Jordanian King Abdullah II receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday in Amman (AFP)
Jordanian King Abdullah II receives Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday in Amman (AFP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed on Sunday with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman the Palestinian situation.

The meeting came as US President Joe Biden prepares to visit the region on July 13 and while Israel prepares for its upcoming elections.

Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting carried a Jordanian affirmation that any political developments in the region would not be at the expense of the Palestinians.

The sources expressed apprehension about the Arab-Israeli rapprochement that ended with an air alliance and ideas about a Middle Eastern NATO.

During his meeting with Abbas, the Jordanian King reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering position towards the Palestinian cause and its support for the Palestinians in fulfilling their just and legitimate rights.

Abdullah assured that Jordan will always stands with the Palestinian people, and that nothing is more important to the Kingdom than the Palestinian cause.

The two officials had discussed at Al Husseiniya Palace in the Jordanian capital the latest political developments, bilateral relations, and issues of mutual concern, a Palestinian statement said.

“Wherever Jordan is present, the Palestinian cause will always be present,” Abbas said, as he reviewed the difficult situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

The two sides agreed that the only way to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is through the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abdullah II and Abbas also said that the next step required is to cease unilateral measures to open the way to resuming negotiations in the future.

Jordan is in constant communication with Washington, and is working to have the Palestinian cause at the top of Biden’s agenda during his visit to the region next month, Abdullah II said.

The king will attend a Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan with the US President in Jeddah.

He said Jordan will fully support the rights of the Palestinian people and their cause during the Summit.

Abdullah II reiterated that no progress can be made on regional economic cooperation without making progress in efforts to resolve the Palestinian cause.

Palestinian sources said that during his meeting with the US President next month, Abbas plans to ask for US pressure on Israel to make it stop unilateral actions, push the peace process forward, reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem, reopen the PLO office in Washington, and remove the organization from the terrorism list.

He will also inform Biden that the current situation cannot be tolerated in the absence of a political horizon and international protection for the Palestinian people, warning that he will take actions if Washington remains silent.

Jordan’s King earlier said he would support the creation of a Middle East alliance similar to NATO.

He told CNBC that there is a growing sense in the region that nations facing similar threats need to work together.



Body of Mohammed Sinwar Identified

Palestinians inspecting the site of an Israeli airstrike near the European Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Hatem Khaled/Reuters
Palestinians inspecting the site of an Israeli airstrike near the European Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Hatem Khaled/Reuters
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Body of Mohammed Sinwar Identified

Palestinians inspecting the site of an Israeli airstrike near the European Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Hatem Khaled/Reuters
Palestinians inspecting the site of an Israeli airstrike near the European Hospital in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Hatem Khaled/Reuters

Israeli authorities said on Sunday they identified the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed al-Sinwar that was earlier retrieved from a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month.

Al-Sinwar is the chief commander of Hamas's military wing and the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yehya al-Sinwar.

“The body of al-Sinwar, is now in Israeli custody,” the Israeli army confirmed Sunday following a completed identification process, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

Authorities gave no further details about the other bodies found in the interconnected tunnel complex.

Earlier, the Israeli Radio channel said the bodies of 10 other Palestinian Hamas members and leaders were recovered from the tunnel.

The bodies were recovered during a special military operation.

“The Israeli military released footage showing the underground infrastructure beneath the hospital, including a command-and-control center reportedly used by senior Hamas commanders to direct combat operations,” Yedioth Ahronoth said.

It added that the operation began last Wednesday evening. Prior to the raid, the hospital had been evacuated.

Later, the government media office in Gaza denied the Israeli military claims that the tunnel was found beneath the European Hospital.

The office said the video released by the Israeli army shows a narrow metal pipe that cannot fit a person, has no stairs or equipment and is located in an area used for rainwater drainage.

It also said the Israeli forces dug the site themselves and staged the footage near the hospital’s emergency department, which remains crowded with patients.

On May 21, two Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Sinwar was killed alongside other Hamas figures in an Israeli airstrike on an underground tunnel near the European Hospital east of Khan Younis.

One source said the bodies were moved from one tunnel to another for temporary burial. “They were buried underground due to security concerns,” the source added.

“Hamas informed the families that the remains were not brought above ground and are expected to remain buried in the tunnels until the security situation allows for proper funerals,” the sources said.

A second source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Qassam Brigades special units entered the collapsed tunnel after the bombing and recovered several bodies.

The source said the method used to retrieve the bodies mirrored that of previous operations, including the recovery of senior Hamas officials Rawhi Mushtaha and Sameh al-Siraj, whose deaths were also confirmed posthumously.