By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL -On Monday, in a joint press conference, U.S. President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah II spoke about the situation in Gaza with Biden saying that a deal to free hostages is still being negotiated. Biden said he hopes the proposed six-week ceasefire will bring about a permanent peace in the region. Both leaders warned that any major Israeli invasion of Rafah on the Egyptian border in southern Gaza will have catastrophic consequences. As Abdullah said: “We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah. It is certain to create another humanitarian castastrophe.” He added: “We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end.” Biden explained: “The major military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan to ensure the safety and support of more than 1 million people sheltering there.” While Biden added: “Many people there have been displaced – displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north. And now they’re packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected.”
Meanwhile, according to media reports, U.S. officials privately told members of Congress that Israel is not close to eliminating Hamas – though Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu claims an invasion in Rafah would finish Hamas. Analysts and experts on the region are all in agreement that wiping out Hamas is virtually impossible and that Israel is using this as an excuse for an attack on Rafah that has been labeled as “ethnic cleansing,” by some leaders. EU policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels on Monday: “Netanyahu doesn’t listen to anyone. [He says] they are going to evacuate [the people]. Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people to? Borrell made those remarks after meeting with the head of the UNWRA, the U.N agency that funds Palestinian schools and hospitals. Borrell has also called on the U.S. to stop arms shipments to Israel while a Dutch appeals court mandated the Netherlands government to stop supplying F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel around concerns about their use in alleged violations of international law.
The joint press conference took place after Biden met Abdullah in a private meeting at the White House, the first face-to-face discussion Biden has held with an Arab leader since the Israel-Gaza war began in October. King Abdullah II will also be visiting Canada and Germany to make the case for halting an attack on Rafah and obtaining a ceasefire. Concern has been mounting from all quarters as multiple countries have condemned Israel’s military actions for months with South Africa having taken its case against Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Though Biden has warned Netanyahu about Israel’s actions in the war, he has not restricted aid to Israel or imposed conditions on aid to Israel as a number of his critics have demanded. Egypt warned that if Israel hits Rafah in a major military attack that its 50-year peace treaty would be threatened and tanks and Egyptian military are readied on its border. Borrell’s exasperation was palpable when he spoke to the press in Brussels: “How many times have you heard the most prominent leaders in the world saying too many people are being killed.” He added: “President Biden has said this [killing] is too much, said it is not proportional.” Borrell further concluded: “Well, if you believe that too many people are beng killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed. That is logical.” He referred to the situation between Lebanon and Israel in 2006 when the U.S. halted arms to Israel because Israel didn’t want to stop the war on Lebanon.
