Blinken to Jordan king: Hamas doesn’t stand for Palestinian people

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordan’s King Abdullah earlier today to discuss the ongoing Gaza war, the State Department says.

The pair discussed the Hamas onslaught, efforts to secure the release of all hostages in Gaza and to prevent the war from widening, according to the US readout.

Blinken “underscored that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination and discussed ways to address the humanitarian needs of civilians in Gaza while Israel conducts legitimate security operations to defend itself from terrorism,” the readout says.

Blinken also “reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral partnership and the US commitment to Jordan’s security and economic prosperity, and expressed enduring US appreciation for Jordan’s special role in Jerusalem and as a force for stability in the region.”