Jordan’s Abdullah tells UN that scale of Israel’s assault on Gaza is ‘beyond any justification’

Jordan’s King Abdullah focuses almost the entirety of his UN General Assembly address on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, blasting Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, its policies in the West Bank and its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“The attacks of October 7 on Israeli civilians last year were condemned by countries all over the world, including Jordan, but the unprecedented scale of terror unleashed on Gaza since that day is beyond any justification,” Abdullah says, making no mention of Hamas throughout the entire speech.

“The Israeli government’s assault has resulted in one of the fastest death rates in recent conflicts, one of the fastest rates of starvation caused by war, the largest cohort of child amputees and unprecedented levels of destruction. This Israeli government has killed more children, more journalists, more aid workers and more medical personnel than any other war in recent memory,” he says.

Israel asserts that it does not target civilians, while Hamas intentionally fights and hides among them.

The Jordanian leader calls for the establishment of “a protection mechanism” for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. “This will guarantee the safety of Palestinians and Israelis from extremists who are taking our region to the brink of an all-out war.”

He also urges the international community to join Jordan’s “Gaza Humanitarian Gateway” to provide aid for those in need in the Strip.

Briefly referencing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Jordanian leader says, “No country in the region benefits from escalation. We have seen that clearly in the dangerous developments in Lebanon over the past few days. This has to stop.”