King of Jordan says situation in Gaza result of more than 7 decades of Israeli mentality

ISTANBUL (AA) - King Abdullah II of Jordan said Saturday that "injustice did not begin a month ago," referring to the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip following an attack on Israel by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.

It is "a continuation of over seven decades dominated by a fortress mentality, separation walls and violations against holy sites and rights, the majority of whose victims are innocent civilians," he said in an address to an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi Arabian capital.

"It is the same mentality that seeks to turn Gaza into an unlivable place. It targets mosques, churches and hospitals; it kills doctors, paramedics, and relief workers; even children, the elderly, and women," he said.

"We convene today for Gaza and its people, as they continue to face death and destruction in an ugly war that must stop immediately," Abdullah told Arab and Muslim leaders. "Or our region will spiral into a major conflict whose price innocent people from both sides will pay, and whose repercussions will affect the whole world."

"The injustice inflected on our Palestinian brothers and sisters reflects the international community’s failure to grant them justice and guarantee their rights to dignity, self-determination, and the establishment of their independent state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said.

Jordan refused to characterize the Israeli aggression on Palestinians in Gaza as a war of self-defense. It is a stance stressed by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Al-Safadi during a meeting with the US counterpart last week.

The emergency joint Arab-Islamic summit kicked off Saturday in Riyadh to discuss the “dangerous developments” taking place in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories.

Leaders and representatives of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are participating in the summit which coincides with the ongoing Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip for a 36th straight day, according to Saudi media.