Jordan King Abdullah II was received on Tuesday by US President Donald Trump in the White House, amid tensions that staggered the fragile pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump received King Abdullah II of Jordan in the White House on Tuesday, at a tense moment in the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and after the announcement of the plans of the US president for the strip.
Trump approached the entrance of the west of the White House to welcome the Jordanian King and the heir prince Hussein Bin Abdullah, who arrived at the presidential mansion near noon.
Inside the Oval office, Trump said he will not yield in his plan for the United States to take over Gaza, transfer its residents and transform the territory devastated by war.
Abdullah II's visit has even greater significance and happens hours after Hamas announced that he will pause future hostage releases included in the covenant with Israel, which he accuses of raping the truce. Trump warned the Palestinian militant group that “hell will unleashed” not to continue with the delivery of Israeli captives.
“We are going to take it. We are going to keep it, we are going to treasure it. We are going to start it eventually, where many jobs will be created for the people of the Middle East,” Trump said on Gaza, saying that his plan “will bring peace” to the region.
The meeting between the US president and the Jordanian monarch ended about two hours after the arrival of King Abdullah to the White House. Trump fired King and his son at the gates of the West Wing without answering reports from the reporters.
King Abdullah has previously said that he rejects any measure to attach land and displace the Palestinians. When asked Tuesday about the acceptance of Palestinians, he said he had to do what is best for his country, and said that Arab nations would come to Washington with a counterproposal.
“The issue is how to make this work in a way that is good for everyone,” he said, without explicitly supporting or opposing Trump's plan.
On Monday, Hamas said he would stop releasing Israeli hostages from Gaza until further notice, saying that Israel was violating the agreement to end the attacks that have hit Gaza.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages before noon on Saturday, the fragile high the fire in Gaza would end and the Israeli army would resume his offensive.
Trump said Tuesday that “all bets are canceled” if Hamas does not meet the deadline, and added that he does not believe that the Palestinian militant group does it.
Trump suggested that, if necessary, he would have financing to Jordan and Egypt, allies of the United States for a long time and among the main receptors of their foreign aid, as a means of persuading them that they accept more Palestinians in Gaza.
“Yes, maybe. Of course, why not?” Trump told reporters. “If they don't, it is possible to retain help, yes.”
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said last week that his country's opposition to Trump's idea was “firm and unwavering.”
When asked how Abdullah II would persuade to accept the Palestinians, Trump told reporters: “I think he will accept, and I think other countries will also. They have a good heart. ”
The King will also meet with senior Trump administration officials during his visit, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, sent to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. He is the third foreign leader who held a meeting in person with Trump since his investiture on January 20.
(With information from The Associated Press and Reuters)