The planned Rafah attack by Israel is fraught with danger, as Jordan’s King Abdullah warns

According to the royal palace, Jordan’s King Abdullah II issued a warning on February 26 about the potential risks associated with an Israeli military action in Rafah, Gaza, and reaffirmed his need for an immediate ceasefire to save civilians and deliver relief. The King added that finding a “political horizon” for the Palestinians that would allow them to establish a state on land Israel had captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, including east Jerusalem, was the only way to put an end to the long-running conflict. This Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that military preparations for Rafah, which included the evacuation of over a million Palestinian civilians who had been seeking refuge there, would be approved by the Israeli Security Cabinet.

Gaza medical officials report that Israel has killed around 30,000 Palestinians in the conflict. According to official counts, Israel lost 241 soldiers in the ground battle in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas invasion, which claimed 1,200 lives in Israel. In addition, King Abdullah voiced concern over Israeli settlement attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, which have been denounced by the US and a number of European nations. He expressed concerns about the possibility of a fresh round of violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March, when Israel has declared it will limit the number of Palestinian worshipers visiting the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

According to an army statement, the Jordanian army organized the largest air drop operation to date on February 26 to bring aid to Gaza, where the 2.3 million people who are displaced are experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger. The king personally took part in an airlift of supplies to Gaza earlier in February, emphasizing the role his country is playing in leading an international effort to accelerate the delivery of relief to the beleaguered region. Four C-130 aircraft, including one from the French air force, were used in the operation on February 26, according to army spokesman Mustafa Hiyari.