NNA – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he ldquo;rejects the forced displacementrdquo; of Palestinians from Gaza, following Israelrsquo;s order for all of the enclaversquo;s civilians to move to the south.
Abbas said at Fridayrsquo;s meeting in Jordanrsquo;s capital Amman that such an event would constitute a ldquo;second Nakbardquo;, referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 war surrounding Israelrsquo;s creation, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
He also said that humanitarian corridors must be allowed in the blockaded coastal enclave immediately to prevent a humanitarian disaster, the report said.
Al Jazeerarsquo;s diplomatic editor James Bays said Blinken was in Jordan to negotiate, not to ask for the cessation of hostilities.
ldquo;Blinken is expected to also travel to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt to make progress on the release of American captives held by Hamas and negotiate the safe exit of 500 to 600 US citizens or dual nationals currently in Gaza,rdquo; he said.
ldquo;The diplomatic trip is also aiming to avoid a regional escalation of the war. But not the cessation of hostilities. He is not saying Israel should stop the aggression on Gaza,rdquo; Bays added.
Earlier on Friday, Blinken met Jordanrsquo;s King Abdullah II who also called for ldquo;opening humanitarian corridors to allow for the entry of urgent medical and relief aid to Gaza, and protecting civilians and stopping the escalation and war on Gazardquo;, a statement from the royal court said.
Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered in Amman on Friday for a demonstration in support of Palestinians.
More than 10,000 people massed in the centre of the city near the Grand Husseini Mosque.
They held banners, reading: ldquo;The victory march will continue, solidarity with Palestinerdquo; and ldquo;Stand with Palestine, Liberated Palestinerdquo;.mdash;agencies
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