Biden, Sisi, Abdullah, Abbas to meet Wednesday in Amman

Amr Kandil , Tuesday 17 Oct 2023

US President Joe Biden will hold talks with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman after his Wednesday visit to Israel amid Israeli deadly strikes on Gaza.

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From left, King Abdullah of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, US President Joe Biden and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. Compiled photos

 

According to a statement by the White House on Monday, Biden will discuss with the three Arab leaders the humanitarian needs of civilians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has cut off food, fuel, electricity, and much of the water.

Biden will also reiterate during the meeting that "Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination."

On Tuesday, Jordan Royal Court announced that King Abdullah II will host a quadrilateral summit in Amman on Wednesday.

"The primary agenda of the summit is to discuss the critical developments in Gaza and their impact on the wider region. A key objective is to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian and relief aid to the Gaza region," the court added in a statement.

Biden plans an extraordinary solidarity visit to Israel, during which he will "demonstrate his steadfast support" for the country. However, Biden said that the Israeli occupation of Gaza would be “a big mistake.

Biden's visit comes shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US and Israel have agreed to develop a plan enabling humanitarian aid from donor states and organizations to reach Gazan civilians.

Over the past few days, Blinken has been on a Middle East tour, visiting Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia between two visits to Israel.

Egypt has been communicating with the Palestinian and Israeli sides in a bid to achieve calm in Hamas-run Gaza, which has seen worsening humanitarian conditions amid unrelenting Israeli strikes over the past 10 days.

Biden said on Saturday that the US is working with Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the UN to create the proper conditions for aid flow to Gaza.

On Sunday, El-Sisi told Blinken in a Cairo meeting that the current crisis may have grave repercussions for the Middle East and that Egypt is working to de-escalate the situation, and prevent other parties from entering the conflict.

Egypt has received tons of humanitarian aid from donor countries but they remain stranded in El-Arish, North Sinai, as Israel has launched repeated strikes on the neighbouring Rafah border crossing.

Egypt will host a summit on Saturday to discuss the recent developments in Gaza with regional and international partners, Egyptian TV channel Al-Qahera News reported.

Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed over 2,800 Palestinians and left nearly 11,000 injured, with the vast majority being women and children.

The ongoing missile strikes have left Gaza in ruins, with countless homes reduced to rubble, and its 2.3 million residents struggling with severe shortages of essentials like food, water, and electricity.

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