President Joe Biden will meet Middle East ally Jordan’s King Abdullah II, at the White House on Monday with prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appearing slim and Palestinian group Hamas and Israeli officials blaming each other for the impasse.
Quick Read
Biden’s Meeting with King Abdullah Amid Gaza Tensions:
- High-Level Talks: President Joe Biden is set to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House, focusing on the escalating conflict in Gaza, where hopes for a ceasefire are diminishing.
- Dim Prospects for Ceasefire: The meeting comes at a time when ceasefire prospects are low, with Hamas demanding an end to the war in exchange for releasing hostages—a proposal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected.
- Informal Setting: Despite the gravity of the discussions, the meeting between Biden and King Abdullah is described as an informal, private engagement rather than a formal bilateral meeting.
- Context of Violence: The backdrop to this meeting includes recent attacks, such as Hamas’s assault on the Kerem Shalom crossing, resulting in Israeli casualties, and the ongoing heavy toll of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
- U.S.-Israel Disagreements: There are evident tensions between the Biden administration and Israeli officials, particularly regarding the planned Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, which Biden has opposed unless there are adequate protections for Palestinian civilians.
- Regional and Domestic Pressures: Jordan, along with other Arab states, has been vocal in criticizing Israel’s actions and calling for a ceasefire. Domestically, Biden is also facing political pressure due to widespread pro-Palestinian protests across U.S. college campuses.
The Associated Press has the story:
Biden hosts Jordan’s King Abdullah as Gaza ceasefire hopes dim
NEWSLOOKS_ WASHINGTON, (AP)
President Joe Biden will meet Middle East ally Jordan’s King Abdullah II, at the White House on Monday with prospects for a Gaza ceasefire appearing slim and Palestinian group Hamas and Israeli officials blaming each other for the impasse.
On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the freeing of hostages, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly ruled that out. Hamas also attacked the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza that Israel said killed three of its soldiers.
A Jordanian diplomat said Monday’s meeting between Biden and King Abdullah is not a formal bilateral meeting but an informal private meeting.
It comes as the Biden administration and Israeli officials remain at odds over Israel’s planned military incursion in the southern Gaza city of Rafah where it told Palestinians to start evacuating some parts on Monday.
Biden last met King Abdullah at the White House in February and the two longtime allies discussed a daunting list of challenges, including the looming Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and suffering of Palestinian civilians.
Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israel’s actions and have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket.
The war began after Hamas stunned Israel with a cross-border raid on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 people were killed and 252 hostages taken, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 wounded in Israel’s assault, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Gaza civil defense says Israel airstrikes hit Rafah homes.
Biden last spoke to Netanyahu on April 28 and “reiterated his clear position” on a possible invasion of Rafah, the White House said. The U.S. president has been vocal in his demand that Israel not undertake a ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect Palestinian civilians.
With pro-Palestinian protests erupting across U.S. college campuses, Biden faces increasing pressure politically to convince Israel to hold off on an invasion. Biden addressed the campus unrest over the war in Gaza last week but said the campus protests had not forced him to reconsider his policies in the Middle East.
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