Jordan's king warns of potential regional explosion due to 'Israeli escalation' in West Bank

By Laith Aljunaidi

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Thursday of a potential explosion in the region due to an “Israeli escalation” in the West Bank and Jerusalem, emphasizing the need for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

The warning came during a phone call received by the Jordanian monarch from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a statement from the Royal Hashemite Court.

The statement said that King Abdullah warned that “the continued Israeli escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem could lead to chaos and an explosion in the region.”

During the call, the king emphasized “the need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the protection of unarmed civilians.”

He stressed “the need for stepping up efforts to guarantee the delivery of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian and relief aid to Gaza, expressing appreciation for Canada’s efforts in delivering aid to the (Gaza) Strip.”

King Abdullah reaffirmed “the important role of UNRWA in providing relief to over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, which requires maintaining support for the agency to enable it to continue providing its vital services in accordance with its UN mandate.”

The king reiterated the need to create a political horizon for the Palestinian issue to reach a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, stressing that there can be no stability in the region without a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

As of Jan. 30, 18 countries and the European Union decided to suspend their funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, based on Israel's allegations that 12 of the agency's employees participated in an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, killing at least 27,019 Palestinians and injuring 66,139. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala