King of Jordan asks Biden to stop the 'massacre' in Rafah

(Patria) - Jordanian King Abdullah told US President Joe Biden at a private meeting on Monday that the Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to a "new massacre" of Palestinian civilians and called on the international community to take urgent measures, Reuters reported.

"The King warned of the consequences of an Israeli ground offensive on Rafah, which could cause a regional spillover of the conflict," the Jordanian Royal Court said in a statement after Abdullah had lunch with Biden at the White House.

Israel carried out airstrikes on Rafah on Monday and told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city where more than a million people displaced in the seven-month war are concentrated.

In a phone call on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden pressed Netanyahu not to proceed with a large-scale Israeli military offensive in Rafah. The US President was vocal in his demand that Israel not undertake a ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect Palestinian civilians.

The Jordanian statement stated that Abdullah warned Biden at the meeting that "the Israeli attack on Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced as a result of the war in Gaza, threatens to lead to a new massacre".

"His Majesty stressed the importance of all efforts seeking an immediate ceasefire in Gaza," it said.

"The King and the US President affirmed their commitment to working towards achieving a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of facilitating the delivery of sustainable humanitarian aid to the Strip in light of the dire needs."

The Biden administration and Israeli officials remain at odds over Israel's planned military incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Biden last met with King Abdullah at the White House in February, and the two long-time allies discussed a list of challenges, including the impending Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Jordan and other Arab countries have been highly critical of Israel's actions and have called for a ceasefire since mid-October.

The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 252 hostages. More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 wounded in the Israeli offensive.