New York City, US, Oct 31 (EFE).- United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the “sustained” delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and the importance of protecting the civilian population of the Palestinian enclave, which is being heavily bombed by Israel.
Both leaders “also agreed that it is critical to ensure that Palestinians are not forcibly displaced outside of Gaza” and “affirmed their commitment to work together and with other regional partners to set the conditions for a durable and sustainable peace in the Middle East to include the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the White House said in a readout of the telephone call.
The conversation between Biden and King Abdullah took place on the same day that the Israeli military bombed the Jabalia refugee camp, in the north of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 145 people.
Israel, which has acknowledged the attack, says that it sought to eliminate a senior commander of the Islamist group Hamas, which governs the Strip and launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 against several Israeli communities, killing 1,400 people and taking hundreds hostage.
Since then, Washington has stressed Israel’s right to self-defense and reiterated its support for the country, although as the offensive progresses it has also stressed the importance of respecting the laws of war, protecting the lives of innocent civilians and allowing entry of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
Some 8,500 people have died in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and more than 21,000 have been injured, according to the Gaza health ministry. EFE
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