King Abdullah II of Jordan has called for efforts to de-escalate the tensions in the Palestinian territories and urged the conflicting sides to avoid unilateral measures that could lead to instability.
He made the remarks at a meeting with Deputy Assistant to the U.S. President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.
At the meeting, the Jordanian leader appealed for the resumption of negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis to reach a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.
He also underlined Jordan’s steadfast efforts to safeguard the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, which are under Jordanian royal family’s custodianship.
The king and McGurk also discussed the latest developments of regional and international affairs.
The already tense relations between Israelis and Palestinians worsened on Feb. 22, when an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus resulted in the deaths of 11 Palestinians and the injury of 102 others. ■
