A planned summit with President Joe Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was called off Tuesday in the wake of an explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip that reportedly killed hundreds. Israel and Hamas are each blaming each other for the carnage as the war between the two heats up after Hamas’ October 7 surprise attacks on the Jewish nation that killed an estimated 1,400.
Mahmoud Abdullah, the Palestinian leader, walked out on Tuesday’s planned conference. The White House announced the cancellation of the summit.
Biden, who left for Tel Aviv Tuesday night, was planning to meet with Arab Leaders in Amman following his visit to Israel as a way of showing support for its U.S. allies in the war against Hamas.
After consulting with King Abdullah II and considering the days of mourning declared by President Abbas, the Palestinian Authority’s leader, President Biden has decided to postpone the trip to Jordan as well as the meeting planned with the two leaders.
Some media outlets report that the decision was made mutually:
According to NBC News, a Jordanian official said that all parties had agreed on the cancellation of the summit and that it would have no effect under the current circumstances.
There are also reports that Jordan cancelled the event by itself:
Jordan has cancelled a scheduled meeting with President Biden on Wednesday and other regional leaders to protest an airstrike which hit a Gaza hospital and killed reportedly hundreds of people.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister told state television later that the country had cancelled the summit. He claimed that the conflict between Israel and Hamas “pushed the region to the edge.”
This mainstream outlet clearly states in this social media post that Jordan cancelled it.
President Joe Biden is traveling to Israel to visit the warzone and show support to America’s closest ally in the Middle East. The president planned to attend a four-way summit with Arab leaders, but Jordan canceled the meeting following the deadly hospital explosion. pic.twitter.com/UsOYk5lQRI
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 17, 2023
Benjamin Netanyahu denied Israel’s involvement in the attack. He said, “Barbaric terrorists in Gaza attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF.” Israel claims to have proof that it did not attack the hospital, but the Islamic Jihad group did.
The Israeli Defense Forces said they investigated the incident. They determined that it was a failed launch of a rocket by the Islamic Jihad. This is a smaller and more radical Palestinian militant organization which often works with Hamas.
Iran funds and supports Islamic Jihad, just like Hamas.
IDF stated that the rocket was fired out of Gaza and it was close to the hospital when it was struck. Biden will be in Israel on Wednesday for a meeting with Israeli leaders as a sign of support.
In the Middle East, there are protests in many hotspots.
🚨BREAKING: GAZA HOSPITAL BOMBING PROMPTS PROTESTS IN LEBANON AS JORDAN CANCELS SUMMIT WITH PALESTINE & U.S
Protests are breaking in various Arab countries, including Lebanon, where protesters march on the US & French embassies, following the bombing of the Gaza Hospital bombing pic.twitter.com/6JCshBTzQY
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 17, 2023
The nascent Israel/Hamas conflict is not likely to be resolved anytime soon.
