Jordan's King Abdullah Says ‘Whole Region is on the Brink’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) address a joint press conference after a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) address a joint press conference after a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)
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Jordan's King Abdullah Says ‘Whole Region is on the Brink’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) address a joint press conference after a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah II (L) address a joint press conference after a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on October 17, 2023. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Jordan's King Abdullah on Tuesday warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, adding that the humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.

The Jordanian king told reporters on Tuesday that “this is a red line ... no refugees to Jordan and also no refugees to Egypt.”

“This is a situation that has to be handled within Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “And you don’t have to carry this out on the shoulders of others,” he said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

Abdullah also said that everything needs to be done to prevent a further escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

“The whole region is on the brink,” Abdullah said. “This new cycle of violence is leading us towards the abyss.”

At the same press conference, Scholz called for preventing an escalation in the Middle East and warned Hezbollah and Iran against intervening in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

"I expressly warn Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in the conflict," Scholz said.

Scholz, who is traveling to Israel later on Tuesday, stressed that the country has every right to defend itself and can count on Germany’s support.



Palestinian Government Says It's Ready to Run the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
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Palestinian Government Says It's Ready to Run the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)

The Palestinian government says it is ready to take responsibility for running the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and is committed to managing crossing points in collaboration with the European Union and Egypt.
The Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, told a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday on Gaza that the government welcomes any assistance to train and equip the Palestinian police and security forces. She also called for urgent humanitarian aid, The Associated Press said.
She expressed hope that the six-week ceasefire will lead to a final ceasefire and lay the foundations for a political track to end Israel’s occupation within a year as called for by the International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest tribunal.
Israel’s political coordinator, Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly, told the council “This war will not end until every hostage is returned and Hamas’ ability to terrorize is dismantled.”
She said the Middle East stands at “a turning point” where Iran’s proxies Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon have suffered “devastating losses” and its “network of terror” including the Houthis in Yemen have faced significant setbacks.
Ben Naftaly said Israel has no interest in a conflict with Syria “but we will not tolerate a situation that endangers our civilians, allows Iran to re-establish itself in the region, and transfer weapons to Hezbollah.”