Countries would reject being asked to enforce peace in Gaza if deployed under the Trump ceasefire plan, King Abdullah of Jordan has told the BBC.
What is the mandate of security forces inside of Gaza? And we hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it's peace enforcing, nobody will want to touch that, said King Abdullah in an exclusive interview for BBC Panorama.
The King's remarks reflect concerns from the U.S. and others about involvement in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel. He noted that peacekeeping should mean support for local police, with training from Jordan and Egypt, but running patrols with weapons is undesirable for any country.
Under the Trump peace plan, Arab states are expected to commit stabilisation forces to help train Palestinian police while Hamas is to disarm. However, as conflict continues and Hamas shows no signs of disarming, the situation is critical.
King Abdullah emphasized that he would not send Jordanian forces into Gaza due to the country's proximity to the conflict, with over half its population of Palestinian descent. He questioned whether Hamas would keep its promises, citing optimism from countries that work closely with the group.
Queen Rania also shared her views, criticizing global inaction over the suffering of Palestinians due to the conflict.
Both leaders stress the urgency of finding a future for Israelis and Palestinians, warning that failing to do so would have dire implications.
