Jordan calls for ‘immediate’ global action to halt Israel assault on Gaza

Jordan called for "immediate and effective" international action on Thursday to compel Israel to stop its assault on the Gaza Strip and reopen its border crossings for humanitarian aid.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held talks over the phone with several counterparts during which he stressed the urgent need to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and fully implement a prisoner exchange deal brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, according to a Foreign Ministry readout.

He urged the global community to act "urgently and decisively" to force Israel to end its onslaught and allow aid into all parts of Gaza.

Safadi warned of "catastrophic consequences" if Israel resumes its offensive and continues blocking humanitarian assistance, the ministry added.

The Jordanian minister condemned Israel's renewed attacks and its "use of food as a weapon," calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire starting with adherence to the exchange agreement.

Safadi's discussions included the foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Austria.

More than 700 Palestinians were killed and over 900 others injured in a surprise aerial campaign by Israel on Gaza since Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 113,000 others injured in a brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.