News - Middle East: Jordan's King Abdullah II has called for urgent international action to secure an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where thousands of people have fallen victim to relentless Israeli ground and air strikes and severe malnutrition is affecting thousands of children.

During a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Jordanian coastal city of Aqaba on Sunday, the monarch underlined the need for stepped-up efforts aimed at the protection of civilians, provision of sufficient and sustainable humanitarian aid to Gaza, and its sustainable delivery through all available means.
King Abdullah II warned of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which require intensified attempts to prevent the situation from getting worse.
He also warned against the dangerous repercussions of halting funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), highlighting its impact on the Palestinian population in war-torn Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and Jordan.
The king reiterated Jordan's rejection of any bids meant to forcibly displace Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as any scenario to segregate the West Bank from Gaza.
He condemned the vicious attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, and desecrations of holy Muslim and Christian sites in al-Quds.