The Jordanian monarch poured cold water on German Chancellor Olaf Schulz’s hopes that neighboring Arab countries would be able to receive Palestinian refugees fleeing the Gaza Strip before the expected ground attack by the Israeli army.
King Abdullah II’s refusal came on Tuesday morning during a press conference with Schulz following a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, which Schultz also used to issue a warning to Iran and Hezbollah against interfering in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
King Abdullah said at the press conference: “I think I can speak here on behalf of Jordan… but also our friends in Egypt: This is a red line… There are no refugees to Jordan and no refugees to Egypt either.”
These statements come ahead of a trip by Schultz to Israel and Egypt, where the Chancellor hopes to calm tensions and improve the situation of Palestinians seeking to flee the conflict zone. The main hope of Schulz and other Western leaders is that Egypt will be able to open its border with Gaza to allow refugees in.
However, the Jordanian monarch played down the possibility of such an event: “This is a situation that must be dealt with within Gaza and the West Bank. And you don’t have to do it on the shoulders of others.
Following Hamas’ violent attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,300 people, Israel asked civilians to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip because it might launch a ground offensive in an attempt to eliminate Hamas and release the hostages.
Schulz heads to Israel on Tuesday to express his solidarity with the country. The advisor heads to Egypt on Tuesday evening, and is scheduled to meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday morning.
“It is essential that the suffering civilian population, used by Hamas as human shields, receive humanitarian aid,” Schulz said at the press conference, adding that “the Palestinians are not Hamas… The Palestinian population is also a victim of Hamas.” “.
Schultz also issued a warning that the war must not escalate further: “I once again warn Hezbollah and Iran in particular against interfering in the conflict.”
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