UPDATE - US president, Jordan's king discuss Gaza

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By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah II discussed the latest situation in the Gaza Strip, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

"They discussed the strong partnership between the US and Jordan. They also spoke about the situation in Gaza, of course, including efforts to secure the hostage deal and to get more humanitarian assistance to the civilians of Gaza," Kirby told reporters.

He added that Biden hosted the king for lunch at the White House.

In a statement, the White House confirmed that Biden and King Abdullah discussed the latest developments in Gaza and affirmed their commitment to work together towards an enduring end to the crisis.

"They further underscored the need for an immediate release of the hostages held by Hamas and a sustainable cease-fire that allows for a surge of the urgently needed humanitarian assistance to be delivered safely through Gaza," it said, adding both leaders remain committed to achieving a "durable, lasting" peace to include a pathway to a Palestinian state, with security guarantees for Israel.

The leaders reiterated their shared commitment to facilitating the increased, sustained delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, it said.

"The critical importance" of stability in the West Bank and support for the reforms now being pursued by the Palestinian Authority were also on the agenda, White House said, adding both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together to realize a more stable and integrated Middle East region.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said late Monday that it had accepted a Qatari-Egyptian proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Israel said in response, however, that the truce offer accepted by Hamas does not meet its key demands.

Israel’s war cabinet decided to push ahead with an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah “in order to apply military pressure on Hamas with the goal of making progress on freeing the hostages and the other war aims.”

The Israeli army issued immediate evacuation orders early Monday for Palestinians in the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah and called on them to move to the town of al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.

Rafah is home to more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who have taken refuge from the war launched by Israel following an Oct. 7 attack last year by Hamas that killed nearly 1,200 people.

Since then, the Israeli onslaught has killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, besides causing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians there.