IP- Following meetings with Arab leaders and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Jordan foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Israel is committing “war crimes” in Gaza and that it should not be above international law.

Iran Press/ West Asia:  He told reporters that though he condemned the Hamas attacks, the war in Gaza could not be permitted to continue.

“The whole region is sinking in a sea of hatred that will define generations to come,” Safadi said.

“We don’t accept that this is self-defense,” Safadi said, calling for a ceasefire. “It cannot be justified under any pretext and it will not bring Israel security, it will not bring the region peace.”

Blinken says the US believes the status quo of a Hamas-controlled Gaza cannot continue and he discussed with his Arab counterparts how to chart a better path forward towards a two-state solution.

Although the Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers urged an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Blinken took the position that that would be counterproductive and made clear the furthest he would go was supporting a “humanitarian pause” to give time for supplies to be delivered and getting civilians out of Gaza.

Blinken said he has spoken with Israeli leaders about “how, when, and where” pauses could happen and “what needs to be done to make them possible”.

Secretary Blinken says “We remain resolutely committed and focused on securing the release of hostages held by Hamas”.

 The U.S. top diplomat says they will work on deterring any “state and non-state actor in opening another front in this conflict or taking other destabilizing actions”.

He reiterated the need to push for an increased flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to get foreign nationals out of the enclave.

The United States believes a ceasefire would leave Hamas in place and allow it to regroup and carry out similar attacks to the one on October 7, he said.

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