Photo: Whitehouse.gov
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Good afternoon. Let me begin by welcoming His Majesty the King of Jordan. He is a good friend of mine. Abdullah, welcome back to the White House. Welcome back. And by the way, Barack is looking at you over there in the corner.
And along with Qree- - Queen Riana [Rania], who is now meeting with Jill, and the Queen - and Crown Prince Hussein. Where - is the prince here? I thought he was coming out. In any case.
We've known each other for many years. And His Majesty has been a good friend, a steadfast partner alongside the Queen and a beloved leader of his people for all these years. The partnership between the United States and our ally Jordan is strong and enduring.
Today we discussed with the King and our senior foreign policy officials what - the issue that is front and centre in the Middle East and far beyond: the war between Israel and the terrorist organisation Hamas. More than four months ago, on October 7, Hamas attacked Israel in an act of sheer evil, slaughtering more than 1,200 innocent women, men and children - the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
More than 250 hostages were taken. One hundred and thirty-four of them are still being held hostage by Hamas. We do not know how many of them are still alive. The suffering that their families are experiencing week after week, month after month, is unimaginable. And for the United States, bringing them home is a top priority.
I have made clear that the United States shares the goal of defeating Hamas and ensuring the long-term security of Israel and its people.
After the October 7 attacks, Hamas withdrew back into Gaza, where its leaders live in underground tunnels that stretch for more than 100 kilometres under civilian infrastructure, including - including schools, playgrounds and neighbourhoods.
In the past four months, as the war has raged, the Palestinian people have also suffered unimaginable pain and loss. Too many - too many of the more than 27 000 Palestinians killed in this conflict were innocent civilians and children, including thousands of children. And hundreds of thousands of people have no access to food, water or other basic services.
Many families have lost not just one, but many relatives and cannot grieve for them or even bury them because it is not safe. It is heartbreaking.
Every innocent life [lost] in Gaza is a tragedy, just as every innocent life lost in Israel is a tragedy. We pray for these victims - Israeli and Palestinian - and for the grieving families left behind.
Not only do we pray for peace, but we also actively seek peace, security and dignity for both the Palestinian and Israeli people. And I am working day and night with the King and others in the region to find the means to bring all these hostages home, to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and end the threat of terror, and to bring peace to Gaza and Israel - a lasting peace with a two-state solution for two peoples.
As we talked to the king today, the United States is working on a hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas that would bring an immediate and permanent period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then use to build something more permanent.
Over the past month, I have had phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to move this matter forward. A key element of the agreements is on the table. There are still gaps that remain, but I have encouraged Israeli leaders to continue working towards an agreement. The United States will do everything possible to make it happen.
We also discussed the situation in Rafah with the King. As I said yesterday, our military operation in Rafah - their - the main military operation in Rafah should not go ahead without a credible plan - a credible plan to provide security and support for the more than a million people who are sheltering there. Many people have been displaced there - displaced several times, fled the violence in the north and are now crammed into Rafah - exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected.
And we have also been clear from the beginning: we are against any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
We also discussed at length with the King today how to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza. From the very beginning, my team and I have worked tirelessly to get more aid in. For months, I have urged Congress to ensure that our country's support for Israel includes urgently needed aid to the Palestinians. And I have spoken repeatedly with partners across the region, including the King, to help make it as easy as possible for such aid to flow into Gaza and actually reach the people who need it there.
We have been pushing for the opening of the Rafah border crossing. We have been pushing for the opening of Kerem Shalom. And we insist that they remain - they remain open - both remain open. We are working to open other routes as well. And we're also working tirelessly to make sure that aid workers can get aid where it needs to go as it passes through.
I want to commend Jordan and, in particular, the King for everything he has done to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, including what happened a few days ago. He personally boarded a plane and helped to conduct an air drop of urgently needed medical supplies into Gaza.
I was told that his two children had also joined these paratroopers. They were helping to deliver humanitarian supplies. And the queen has been a passionate -- a passionate advocate for the Palestinian people, especially women and children, for years. Your family's leadership, Your Majesty, and humanitarian commitment are commendable.
And at the same time, we are working to create the conditions for a lasting peace, as we talked about a lot upstairs, with Israeli security and the fulfilment of Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own. I say this as a long-time - lifelong supporter of Israel. That is the only way to guarantee Israel's security in the long term. To achieve it, the Palestinians must seize this opportunity as well.
As I spoke to the King today, the Palestinian Authority must be reformed again - urgently - to effectively deliver services to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza. Once Hamas control of Gaza ends, it must prepare to build a state that accepts peace, that does not accept terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
And we will continue to work together to finish what was - what we started: to integrate the region, to bring peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbours, including the Palestinian state. These efforts were already under way before the attacks of 7 October. It is even more urgent today.
No one - no one understands better than our allies and partners in the region, including the King, what we need. I am grateful for his friendship, including his and Jordan's unique role - unique role: guardian of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
We are grateful for this friendship. We saw this again just two weeks ago, when three brave American soldiers were killed in an attack on a military post in Jordan, near the Syrian border, by radical Iranian-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq. Since then, U.S. military forces have struck targets in Iraq and Syria, and our response will continue.
We are grateful for our partners and allies, like the King, who work with us every day to promote security and stability throughout the region and beyond. It is in difficult times like these that the bonds between nations are more important than ever.
And Jill and I are delighted to welcome him to the White House today, along with the Queen and the Crown Prince.
Your Majesty, I give you the floor.
KING ABDULLAH II: Thank you, sir.
(President Biden moves from one side of the stage to the other.)
Sir -
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I've come over to your side.
KING ABDULLAH II: Excuse me.
Mr President, thank you for the kind hospitality extended to me and my delegation today.
My visit today has added significance as our countries mark 75 years of exemplary strategic partnership this year. But we had hoped to mark this important milestone under better circumstances in my region and in the world.
Unfortunately, one of the most devastating wars in recent history is still being fought in Gaza as we speak. Almost 100 000 people have been killed, injured or are missing. Most of them are women and children.
We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah. It is certain to cause another humanitarian catastrophe. The situation is already unbearable for the more than one million people who have been pushed into Rafah since the war began.
We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a permanent ceasefire. This war must end. We must work urgently and immediately to ensure the sustainable delivery of sufficient aid to Gaza through all possible entry points and mechanisms. And I thank you, Mr President, for your support in this matter.
Restrictions on essential humanitarian aid and medical supplies lead to inhumane conditions. No other UN agency can do what UNRWA is doing to help the people of Gaza overcome this humanitarian catastrophe.
Its work in other areas of operation - particularly in Jordan, where 2.3 million people are registered - is also vital. It is essential that UNRWA continues to receive the support it needs to fulfil its mandate.
The potential threat of displacement of Palestinians beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank is viewed with extreme concern and cannot be tolerated.
At the same time, we must not overlook - we must not ignore - the situation in the West Bank and the holy places in Jerusalem.
Since 7 October, nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including nearly 100 children, and over 4,000 have been injured.
Continued escalation by extremist settlers in the West Bank and the holy sites of Jerusalem and the expansion of illegal settlements will unleash chaos throughout the region.
The vast majority of Muslim worshippers are not allowed to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Christian churches have also expressed concern about the increasing and unprecedented restrictions and threats.
It is also important to stress that we cannot agree to the separation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Seven decades of occupation, death and destruction have proven beyond doubt that without a political horizon, peace is impossible.
Military and security solutions are not the solution. They can never bring peace. Civilians on both sides continue to pay with their lives for this protracted conflict.
All attacks on innocent civilians - women and children - including those of 7 October cannot be accepted by any Muslim, as I have pointed out before.
We must ensure that the horrors of the last few months since 7 October are never repeated and never accepted by any human being.
We need to intensify our efforts, together with our Arab partners and the international community, to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and to start working immediately on a political horizon that will lead to a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of a two-state solution - an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, but living side by side with Israel in peace and security. That is the only solution that will guarantee peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis and for the entire region.
Your leadership, my dear friend, Mr President, is crucial to resolving this conflict. And Jordan, as always, is ready to work with you to achieve peace.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you.
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