Jordan’s King Rejects ‘Collective Punishment’ for Gaza Residents

Jordan's King Abdullah II with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman (Royal Hashemite Court)
Jordan's King Abdullah II with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman (Royal Hashemite Court)
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Jordan’s King Rejects ‘Collective Punishment’ for Gaza Residents

Jordan's King Abdullah II with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman (Royal Hashemite Court)
Jordan's King Abdullah II with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman (Royal Hashemite Court)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is increasing his efforts to "stop the aggression" against the Gaza Strip, knowing that such a demand can't be achieved immediately.

Abbas is currently pressing to deliver medical aid, food, and fuel into the enclave.

An informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Abbas will discuss the matter with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman, demanding more pressure on Israel to allow the delivery of fuel, medical, and food aid.

The source confirmed that Abbas is not proposing safe passage to Egypt, as Palestinians reject other displacement attempts, stressing the need to stop the Israeli attack on civilians, protect them, and open an aid corridor to bring in basic conditions.

Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Amman on Friday and hold separate talks with the Jordanian monarch and Palestinian President.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian President met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Thursday.

The King warned against adopting a policy of collective punishment of the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to respect international humanitarian law and not to target innocent civilians.

During his meeting with Abbas in Amman on Thursday, the King urged the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow for the entry of urgent medical and relief aid to Gaza and the provision of water and electricity.

He called for removing obstacles facing international agencies providing humanitarian services guaranteed by international humanitarian law and ending the escalation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The King said Jordan is exerting intensive efforts with regional and international partners to discuss urgent global action to stop the escalation, protect the Palestinians, and prevent displacement.

King Abdallah reaffirmed Jordan's support for the Palestinian Authority as the representative of the Palestinian people.

The two leaders also urged maintaining close Arab coordination and uniting efforts to prevent the deterioration of the situation in Gaza, warning of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and the impact of a spillover of the violence on the entire region.

The King also stressed that Jordan would spare no effort in standing by the Palestinian people and providing humanitarian and medical assistance to the Gaza Strip.

He reaffirmed the Kingdom's unwavering position towards the Palestinian cause and the just and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The King stressed Jordan's commitment to safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem under the Hashemite Custodianship.

The King reiterated that the region cannot enjoy peace or stability without just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, which guarantees establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Meanwhile, the Jordanian government banned pro-Palestinian protests in Jordan Valley and border areas.

"Calls for gatherings and demonstrations in the Jordan Valley and border areas are not allowed," the Interior Ministry said as it vowed to take measures to prevent any protests near the border.

"The Jordan Valley and the surrounding areas along the border with Palestine are prohibited for gatherings, and the Jordanian armed forces are responsible for their protection and maintaining security therein," it said.

The Ministry called upon all individuals to comply with its directive, underscoring its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the right to free expression across all regions of the Kingdom.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Mazen al-Farayyeh met leaders from the "Islamic Action Front," the partisanship arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is unlicensed in Jordan.

The Islamic Action Front issued a statement, calling on the government to allow the mobilization of the popular army and the Jordanian people and prepare to confront the Zionist entity's plans for a new Nakba in Palestine.

Government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meeting occurred within the framework of preparing for the Friday protests and ensuring they remained within the authorized places.



Iran Seeks to Turn ‘New Page’ in Ties with Lebanon

 In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
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Iran Seeks to Turn ‘New Page’ in Ties with Lebanon

 In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Lebanese officials on Tuesday that Iran wanted to turn a "new page" in relations with Beirut, hinting at a shift in diplomatic ties that were long grounded in supporting Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah was once a powerful armed movement and political party with sway over Lebanon's state, but it was severely weakened by Israel's bombing campaign last year. Since then, Lebanon's army commander was elected president and a new cabinet with curtailed influence for Hezbollah and its allies took power.

Araqchi's one-day trip to Beirut on Tuesday was his first since February, when he attended the funeral of Hezbollah's secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, killed in Israeli air strikes in September.

Araqchi told both Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi that he wanted to "turn a new page" in Iran's ties with Lebanon, according to statements by Salam and Raggi's offices.

"Araqchi affirmed his country's keenness to open a new page in bilateral relations with Lebanon, based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs," Salam's office said. Araqchi also extended a formal invitation for Salam to visit Iran.

The statement from Raggi's office said the pair had a "frank and direct discussion," including on establishing the state's monopoly on the use of arms - an apparent reference to possible negotiations on the future of Hezbollah's arsenal.

The top Iranian diplomat briefly addressed reporters on Tuesday after meeting with Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is a key Hezbollah ally. Unlike previous addresses by Iranian diplomats, his comments did not mention Hezbollah.

The visit followed several turbulent episodes in ties between the two countries.

Lebanon's foreign ministry summoned Iran's ambassador to Beirut in April over comments alleging that plans to disarm Hezbollah were a "conspiracy".

Last year, then-Prime Minister Najib Mikati also issued a rare rebuke of Iran for "interfering" in internal Lebanese affairs.

In February, Iran blocked Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Tehran after Lebanon said it would not allow Iranian aircraft to land in Beirut because of Israel's threats that it would bomb the planes.