Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday announced the cancellation of a four-way summit set to take place on Wednesday involving U.S. President Joe Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Tensions in the region escalated on Tuesday following an airstrike that hit the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza that day, reportedly killing hundreds. Israel’s military denied involvement, pointing the finger at the Islamic Jihad terror group in Gaza.
Speaking to state-run al-Mamlaka television, Mr. Safadi expressed concerns that the Israel–Hamas conflict was pushing the Middle East “to the brink,” and as a result, the summit was postponed.
The meeting was initially planned to be held in Amman, Jordan, following President Biden’s visit to Israel.
White House officials said Tuesday night, en route to Tel Aviv, that the cancellation was decided “in a mutual way” after Mr. Abbas had earlier withdrawn his participation from the Wednesday summit to observe “three days of mourning” following the hospital attack.
“There was a general feeling ... that not going to Amman was the right thing to do,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Israel.
The White House had intended to use the summit as a platform to discuss the recent Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, which occurred on Oct. 7, as well as the status of the nearly 200 hostages taken by Hamas, and humanitarian aid for Gaza.
A senior Palestinian official confirmed Mr. Abbas’s withdrawal from the summit.
Mr. Abbas’s withdrawal was a protest against an airstrike on a Gaza hospital, according to senior Palestinian officials.
The strike caused carnage. The hospital was engulfed in fire and bodies, including those of children, were strewn across the grounds along with blankets and belongings, per video footage.
As accusations swirled, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out against reports and claims online that Israel was responsible for the strike.
Islamic Jihad Fired ‘Barrage of Rockets’ Near Hospital: IDF
Leaders of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group initially blamed Israel for striking the hospital. The airstrike resulted in the loss of over 500 lives, according to the group.However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that after conducting an investigation it attributed responsibility for the attack to the Islamic Jihad, a smaller Iran-backed terror group that cooperates with Hamas.
The IDF said the group fired “a barrage of rockets” toward Israel that passed in the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit.
“Intelligence from few sources that we have in our hands indicates that the Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed launch which hit the hospital in Gaza. I repeat, this is the responsibility of Islamic Jihad that killed innocents in the hospital in Gaza,” he continued.
President Biden departed Washington on Tuesday afternoon and is due to arrive in Israel at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, local time, where he plans to express support while Israeli forces continue to conduct operations in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
The White House on Tuesday updated the American death count since Hamas first attacked Israel on Oct. 7 to 31 Americans dead, with 13 unaccounted for.
