Baghdad: Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, speaking on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Saturday criticized the world's failure to end the Israeli war on Gaza and issued an urgent call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire while addressing Arab leaders at the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad.
According to Jordan News Agency, the Prime Minister described the war, now raging for over eighteen months, as a "savage war" that has claimed tens of thousands of innocent civilian lives. "The survivors," Hassan stated, "endure famine, thirst, disease, and the obliteration of schools, shelters, camps, hospitals, and what little housing remains." He warned that the "tragic repercussions of this unjust war will cast a long shadow for many years."
"The world has stood helpless in the face of this war," Prime Minister Hassan asserted, "a war that has flagrantly violated all international laws and norms, and whose catastrophic consequences pose a blatant challenge to humanity itself." He declared that the "foremost priority today is to halt the war and end the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe."
Hassan stressed the imperative for unified international efforts to secure an immediate and lasting ceasefire and to guarantee the swift delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza, acknowledging the ongoing mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. The resilience of the Palestinian people was a central theme of the Prime Minister's address. "The steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land is the hallmark of this era," he stated.
"We must intensify our efforts to bolster their endurance, stop the violations against them, and work with our partners to end this humanitarian disaster, crucially building international support for Gaza's reconstruction." He lauded the Palestinian people for "presenting a model of steadfastness in confronting the longest occupation and injustice in modern history."
Prime Minister Hassan firmly linked regional stability to a fair resolution of the Palestinian issue, one that restores the full rights of the Palestinian people, chief among them an independent, sovereign state. He cautioned that "violations and aggressions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, land confiscations, and settlement construction will not bring security to Israel but will instead keep the region locked in a devastating cycle of conflict."
Jordan's historic commitment to the Hashemite Custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem was also reaffirmed. Beyond Palestine, Hassan extended Jordan's support for Syria's stability and sovereignty, welcoming the lifting of US sanctions and pledging assistance in its reconstruction. He also affirmed solidarity with Lebanon in its efforts to maintain sovereignty and stability.
Concluding his address, the Prime Minister called for collective action to resolve other pressing regional crises in Yemen, Libya, and Sudan, emphasizing a commitment to securing a "promising, prosperous, and secure future for generations to come." The high-level Jordanian delegation also included Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs Ayman Safadi, along with Jordan's ambassadors to Cairo and Baghdad.