US secretary of state, Jordanian counterpart discuss Gaza conflict

By Salih Okuroglu

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jordan Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi discussed Thursday the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has entered its 153rd day, according to the State Department.

Speaking over the phone, Blinken thanked Safadi for Jordan's "partnership" in delivering humanitarian aid to Palestinians, a State Department statement said.

The two discussed efforts to secure “an urgent and sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza for at least six weeks as part of an agreement that would also facilitate the release of hostages and increase humanitarian assistance.

Blinken also emphasized the importance of preserving the historical status quo of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 30,700 Palestinians have since been killed and over 72,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement 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.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz