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'At the brink of regional war' - Jordan's FM Safadi slams Israel for 'illegal measures' in Gaza, Lebanon  as Blinken pushes for 'diplomacy'01:22
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Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi warned of a 'regional war' and denounced Israel's 'illegal' actions during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London on Friday to discuss ongoing de-escalation efforts in Gaza and Lebanon.

"We really stand at the brink of regional war now. The only path to save the region from that is for Israel to stop the aggressions on Gaza and Lebanon, stop unilateral measures, illegal measures in the West Bank that is also pushing the situation towards the abyss," Safadi said during the meeting as he addressed Israel's ongoing military operations.

The foreign minister went on to denounce what he called a 'siege of the Kamal Adwan Hospital' in northern Gaza, one of the Strip's remaining minimally operational healthcare facilities.

"It is of utmost importance right now as we speak to address the situation in northern Gaza where we see the siege of the Kamal Adwan hospital. Again - nothing justifies that," Safadi stated after the UN on Friday had called for the protection of the facility amid Israel's ongoing offensive.

Blinken underscored the importance of a 'diplomatic resolution,' the return of all Israeli hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"The most important thing is to drive towards the diplomatic resolution to get the understandings that are necessary for the full implementation of 1701 and the sooner we're able to do that the sooner we're able to get a resolution," Blinken said.

He also stressed the need for Israel and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that fully implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 which prohibits all armed militias from operating inside Lebanon, not including those of the Lebanese government and UNIFIL.

"I also had the opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon and there too we had a sense of urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution and the full implementation of UN Security Council 1701, such that there can be real security along the border between Israel and Lebanon and people both sides of the border can have the confidence to be able to return to their homes."

The meeting comes after a letter jointly written by Blinken and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month called on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip or risk US military assistance.

The Hamas-Israel war broke out after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 and holding them hostage in Gaza.

In the enclave, Israeli military conducted a large-scale campaign of air strikes and ground incursions, killing over least 42,500 Palestinians at the time of publication.

'At the brink of regional war' - Jordan's FM Safadi slams Israel for 'illegal measures' in Gaza, Lebanon as Blinken pushes for 'diplomacy'

United Kingdom, London
October 25, 2024 at 18:26 GMT +00:00 · Published

Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi warned of a 'regional war' and denounced Israel's 'illegal' actions during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London on Friday to discuss ongoing de-escalation efforts in Gaza and Lebanon.

"We really stand at the brink of regional war now. The only path to save the region from that is for Israel to stop the aggressions on Gaza and Lebanon, stop unilateral measures, illegal measures in the West Bank that is also pushing the situation towards the abyss," Safadi said during the meeting as he addressed Israel's ongoing military operations.

The foreign minister went on to denounce what he called a 'siege of the Kamal Adwan Hospital' in northern Gaza, one of the Strip's remaining minimally operational healthcare facilities.

"It is of utmost importance right now as we speak to address the situation in northern Gaza where we see the siege of the Kamal Adwan hospital. Again - nothing justifies that," Safadi stated after the UN on Friday had called for the protection of the facility amid Israel's ongoing offensive.

Blinken underscored the importance of a 'diplomatic resolution,' the return of all Israeli hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"The most important thing is to drive towards the diplomatic resolution to get the understandings that are necessary for the full implementation of 1701 and the sooner we're able to do that the sooner we're able to get a resolution," Blinken said.

He also stressed the need for Israel and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that fully implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 which prohibits all armed militias from operating inside Lebanon, not including those of the Lebanese government and UNIFIL.

"I also had the opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon and there too we had a sense of urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution and the full implementation of UN Security Council 1701, such that there can be real security along the border between Israel and Lebanon and people both sides of the border can have the confidence to be able to return to their homes."

The meeting comes after a letter jointly written by Blinken and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month called on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip or risk US military assistance.

The Hamas-Israel war broke out after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 and holding them hostage in Gaza.

In the enclave, Israeli military conducted a large-scale campaign of air strikes and ground incursions, killing over least 42,500 Palestinians at the time of publication.

Pool for subscribers only
Description

Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi warned of a 'regional war' and denounced Israel's 'illegal' actions during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London on Friday to discuss ongoing de-escalation efforts in Gaza and Lebanon.

"We really stand at the brink of regional war now. The only path to save the region from that is for Israel to stop the aggressions on Gaza and Lebanon, stop unilateral measures, illegal measures in the West Bank that is also pushing the situation towards the abyss," Safadi said during the meeting as he addressed Israel's ongoing military operations.

The foreign minister went on to denounce what he called a 'siege of the Kamal Adwan Hospital' in northern Gaza, one of the Strip's remaining minimally operational healthcare facilities.

"It is of utmost importance right now as we speak to address the situation in northern Gaza where we see the siege of the Kamal Adwan hospital. Again - nothing justifies that," Safadi stated after the UN on Friday had called for the protection of the facility amid Israel's ongoing offensive.

Blinken underscored the importance of a 'diplomatic resolution,' the return of all Israeli hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"The most important thing is to drive towards the diplomatic resolution to get the understandings that are necessary for the full implementation of 1701 and the sooner we're able to do that the sooner we're able to get a resolution," Blinken said.

He also stressed the need for Israel and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that fully implements United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 which prohibits all armed militias from operating inside Lebanon, not including those of the Lebanese government and UNIFIL.

"I also had the opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon and there too we had a sense of urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution and the full implementation of UN Security Council 1701, such that there can be real security along the border between Israel and Lebanon and people both sides of the border can have the confidence to be able to return to their homes."

The meeting comes after a letter jointly written by Blinken and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin earlier this month called on Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip or risk US military assistance.

The Hamas-Israel war broke out after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200 and holding them hostage in Gaza.

In the enclave, Israeli military conducted a large-scale campaign of air strikes and ground incursions, killing over least 42,500 Palestinians at the time of publication.

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