Palestinian president to meet with Jordanian king, top US diplomat to stop war in Gaza

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II and US State Secretary Antony Blinken to stop the devastating war in Gaza, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday.

In a statement, Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s Executive Committee, said the Palestinian president will meet with King Abdullah II on Thursday to seek an end to the ongoing war in Gaza.

He also added that Abbas will meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.

Blinken on Thursday embarked on an official visit to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to show support to Israel in the ongoing war with Palestinian groups in Gaza.

Over 1,200 Palestinians and 1,300 Israelis have been killed since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict on Saturday.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar