Biden meets with King Abdullah of Jordan as Rafah offensive approaches

Referring to Israel’s announced plans to invade Rafah, Biden said, “A large-scale military operation in Rafah is a reliable and reliable operation to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million people sheltered there.” It should not proceed without a viable plan.” “Many people on the ground have been displaced, fleeing violence to the north and fleeing again and again. And now they are crammed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They needs to be protected.”

Abdullah was more direct. “We cannot allow Israel to attack Rafah. It is certain to cause another humanitarian catastrophe,” the king said. Referring to the wider war, he said: “We cannot let this continue in silence. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end.”

U.S. officials have privately told members of Congress that Israel is no closer to wiping out Hamas, more than 100 days into the operation, a person familiar with the briefing said on condition of anonymity. That’s what it means.

Yet Mr. Biden himself has not publicly called for a ceasefire, arguing that Israel should be allowed to defend itself by eradicating and destroying Hamas’ strongholds in the Gaza Strip. But his willingness to align himself with Arab leaders who have actually made such calls is noteworthy.

The joint comments came after Biden met privately with Abdullah at the White House, marking the president’s first face-to-face meeting with an Arab leader since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October. became. The talks came as U.S. officials expressed deep concern about Israeli plans to target the small town of Rafah, which borders Egypt and is home to about 1.3 million Palestinians who were displaced on Israeli orders and live in dilapidated conditions. It was carried out during the declaration.

Still, Biden and his aides have made it clear that they do not support limiting or conditionalizing aid to Israel, and despite warnings to protect civilians sheltering in Rafah, they do not support military strikes to protect civilians sheltering in Rafah. The company did not warn that it would take any action to hold it accountable if this were to occur.

At least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike during a night operation to rescue two hostages in Rafah, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and thousands more will be left stranded if the Israeli operation continues. In Gaza, there are growing concerns that people could be killed or injured. The planned Rafah operation also comes as Arab leaders fear tens of thousands of Palestinians could be forced into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Further raising concerns about the move, far-right ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government have openly called for the move.

Biden reiterated Monday that he and his aides are working urgently to negotiate a six-week halt to fighting between Israel and Hamas in exchange for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, which would lead to a permanent end to the war. He said that there is a possibility of laying the foundations for the future. .

Biden has come under growing criticism from Arab American and Muslim voters who are angry about his staunch support for Israel and lack of empathy for Palestinians affected by the war. They found Mr. Abdullah a welcome ally. He used the opportunity to highlight the suffering of Palestinians, saying they were facing “unimaginable suffering”, adding that it was “heartbreaking”.all innocent lives [lost] The events in Gaza are a tragedy, just as all the innocent lives lost in Israel are equally tragic. ”

Jordan, whose population is Palestinian, will be key to America’s long-term diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East. Mr. Biden said there must be a plan for a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza, an idea that Netanyahu forcefully rejected. The United States believes this will require reforming the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, and Jordan is likely to be at the center of such efforts.

In recent days, Mr. Biden has signaled he is more aggressively targeting Israeli military operations in Gaza, but the United States and Arab leaders in the Middle East have warned that Mr. I have felt that criticism of the strategy is hardly tolerated.

Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who has worked on Middle East issues in several U.S. countries, said Abdullah, whose wife, Queen Rania, is Palestinian, is one of the few people who could speak to Biden in detail about the suffering in the Gaza Strip. He said he was one of the. Administration.

More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and raids, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Additionally, more than 80 percent of the territory’s population has been displaced, and the Israeli siege has put hundreds of thousands of residents at risk of starvation and disease. Israeli authorities have resisted repeated requests from the United States to allow more humanitarian aid to the enclave. Adding to the challenge is Israeli protesters blocking aid trucks from entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which crosses the enclave’s border.

Biden and Abdullah have known each other for more than 20 years and are deeply in love, according to people close to both men. As vice president, Biden oversaw the Iraq portfolio and visited the country more than a dozen times. Riedel said that on both trips, Biden stopped in Amman to visit Abdullah, either on the way there or back.

Biden announced his support for Abdullah after his half-brother threatened to destabilize the monarchy during his first months in office. Mr. Biden called the king immediately after the incident and expressed his full support for Mr. Abdullah. Experts say the king is deeply grateful for the move.

Riedel said that long-standing relationship gave Abdullah a unique opportunity to speak to Biden at length about the immense suffering in Gaza and project a sympathetic side.

“Mr. Abdullah knows Mr. Biden so well that he can talk about all these issues with a candor that few other Arab leaders can, because they have been together for a long time.” Riedel said. “I think he could be more outspoken and outspoken. Part of the King’s purpose here is to appeal to the empathetic part of Joe Biden and have him show some empathy for the Palestinian people, and Biden There is a need to do so for domestic political reasons.”

Mr. Abdullah’s visit to Washington comes at a time when Mr. Biden is at war with Mr. Netanyahu closer than ever to a breakdown over high civilian casualties, disagreements over humanitarian aid and Mr. Netanyahu’s rejection of a Palestinian state. It took place during a period of instability. More directly, U.S. officials are very concerned about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement of a future military operation in Rafah.

Mr. Biden, standing outside the White House awaiting Mr. Abdullah’s arrival, was asked whether Prime Minister Netanyahu was heeding his advice.

He smiled broadly and said, “Everyone does.”

Abdullah’s visit to Washington is part of a tour of the United States, Canada, France and Germany, part of an effort to mobilize international support for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, protection of civilians and further humanitarian assistance. Prime Minister Abdullah is also scheduled to meet with senior government officials and members of Congress, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on Tuesday.

Abdullah also spoke to Biden about the escalating violence in the West Bank, as the United States and Arab leaders worry that rising tensions could open up new war fronts. More than 370 Palestinians, including around 100 children, have been killed in violent clashes with Israel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The majority were killed by Israeli forces, but some were killed by violent settlers. Earlier this month, Biden issued an executive order imposing sanctions on four West Bank settlers for violence against Palestinians.

Monday’s meeting was also the first such visit since three U.S. military personnel were killed in an attack on an outpost in northeastern Jordan last month. Biden blamed the killings on Iranian-backed militias, which launched a series of retaliatory attacks.