Arab nations won’t be responsible for cleaning up Israel’s mess – Jordan

The Jordanian foreign minister states that it is uncertain “what kind of Gaza will be left” once West Jerusalem ceases operations there.

Ayman Safadi, the foreign minister of Jordan, stated in Bahrain on Saturday that after Israel and Hamas’ combat is over, Arab countries do not intend to place troops in Gaza as part of post-conflict rebuilding efforts. He said that the Arab nations would not “clean the mess” that Israel was purportedly responsible for.

As Israel and the Islamist Hamas group in Gaza continue their war, the destiny of the Palestinian enclave once it ends has become a critical issue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his nation would oversee “overall security” in Gaza for a “indefinite” amount of time once hostilities conclude in early November, about a month into the escalation.

Simultaneously, even Israel’s closest friends expressed opposition to the concept of a “occupation” and “blockade” of the enclave. US State Secretary Antony Blinken declared last week that there had to be “no attempts to blockade or besiege” Gaza and “no reoccupation of the territory.” He went on to say that the enclave shouldn’t serve as “a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks.”

The US and the EU are pushing for UN peacekeeping soldiers to remain in the enclave when the Israeli operation concludes, according to a story published by Bloomberg on Wednesday. Josep Borrell, the top diplomat for the European Union, stated on Monday that a framework for post-conflict rebuilding ought to be created “in collaboration with the United States and Arab states.”

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The only path forward, according to Minister Safadi, would be for the Israelis and Palestinians to have two states. I want to be crystal clear. Speaking on behalf of Jordan, I assure you that no Arab troops will be sent to Gaza after extensive discussion with nearly all of our brethren. Not one. We won’t be viewed as adversaries, the foreign minister declared.

Additionally, he charged that Netanyahu’s current Israeli administration was planning to drive Palestinians out of Gaza. These proposals pose a “direct threat” to Jordan’s national security, according to the foreign minister as well.

The chief diplomat of the Arab nation then declared that any meaningful post-conflict peacebuilding plans could only be drafted following the conclusion of the Israeli operation. “How can anyone discuss Gaza’s future when we don’t know what Gaza will look like after this aggression is over?” Safadi enquired.

Since October 7, when Hamas launched its own surprise attack against Israel and killed almost 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, West Jerusalem has been conducting military operations in Gaza. The Hamas raid resulted in the hostage-taking of around 200 individuals, comprising civilians and military personnel as well as international nationals.

In response, Israel launched intense bombardments of the enclave and then launched a ground assault that, according to Gaza officials, resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 Palestinians.