As Israel issued evacuation orders to Gaza civilians, King Abdullah II of Jordan, on Tuesday, October 17, issued a stern warning against attempting to forcibly push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan.
Declaring it a ‘red line’, the Jordanian King asserted that certain usual suspects were trying to create de facto issues on the ground. Referring to Israel’s evacuation order, Abdullah asserted that neither his country nor Egypt would accept Palestinian refugees.
Speaking at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, he added that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank must be addressed inside Gaza and the West Bank.
“That is a red line because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt,” King Abdullah said.
He also cautioned that if the war between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas is allowed to spill over into other nations, it will be disastrous for the Middle East.
After meeting Scholz, Abdullah declared that “the entire region is on the brink of falling into the abyss.”
“All our efforts are needed to make sure we don’t get there,” he said.
Meanwhile, quoting the Jordan King, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also said that Jordan would not allow Palestinians to flee into Jordan.
Israel urges Gaza civilians to evacuate
On October 14, ahead of an impending major ground offensive in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) urged Gaza civilians to evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours. IDF announced that it was completing preparations for “significant ground operations” in the Gaza Strip. According to IDF, they are preparing to “expand the offensive” by putting in place a “wide range of offensive operational plans” that would include “joint and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land.”
IDF International Spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht issued a video statement that urged civilians from the Gaza Strip to evacuate immediately. He emphasised that the objective of IDF is to protect the people of Israel from the ongoing attacks of the terrorist organisation Hamas, which had initiated the war with a brutal massacre.
Hamas-Israel war
On Tuesday (October 17), the conflict between Israel and the Islamist terrorists of Hamas entered its eleventh day. It is anticipated that the war will further intensify. While preparing to enter Gaza in pursuit of Hamas militants whose violent rampage across Israeli border communities on October 7 stunned the world, the Israeli Army vowed to “demolish Hamas.” Since it began last Saturday (October 7) over 1,300 Israeli civilians have been killed while over 3,300 have been injured. Several innocent Israeli civilians including the elderly and infants have been held hostage by the Hamas terrorists.
Israel launched a major offensive against Hamas in Gaza, restricting power and water supply and blocking essential goods from entering the region. Over 400,000 Gaza residents have been evacuated so far.
Meanwhile, India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel. Four batches of Indians have already been rescued. The first flight under Operation Ajay carried 212 Indian nationals. The second flight carried 235 Indian nationals. The third flight carried 197 Indians. The fourth flight carried 274 Indians