Amid ongoing escalation between Palestinians and Israelis, Jordanian King Abdullah II warned of the dangers of leaving the conflict "unresolved." Egypt has sent ambulances to the Gaza Strip to transport the injured due to Israeli bombardments to Egyptian hospitals. Morocco has also decided to send humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
King Abdullah II warned late on Friday that leaving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "without a comprehensive and just solution" is perilous. A statement from the royal court indicated that during a video conference call at a meeting of leaders signatories to the "Christchurch Call" to combat terrorist content and extremists online, King Abdullah emphasized the need for a resolution that ends the occupation and meets all legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. He stated that the serious violations committed by Israel against the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Jerusalemites lead to violence that threatens stability and security, fueling extremism and promoting hate speech.
The king explained that the "lack of justice and the absence of a political horizon stoke the fires of extremism, as terrorists exploit feelings of grievance to attract supporters." Jordan has witnessed protests in solidarity with Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza. Israel began its bombardment of Gaza on Monday in response to rockets fired at Jerusalem by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in the region. As of Saturday morning, sirens continued to sound in the southern parts of the country. According to the latest toll published by Palestinian authorities on Friday evening, the Israeli shelling of Gaza has resulted in 126 fatalities, including 31 children, and 950 injuries since Monday.
On Saturday, Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow ambulances into the region to transport those injured by Israeli bombardments to Egyptian hospitals, confirmed health and border officials. A medical official told AFP that Egypt "exceptionally opened the crossing for ten Egyptian ambulances to enter the Gaza Strip to transport injured Palestinians... for treatment in Egypt." The border official noted that the opening of the crossing is considered "exceptional" for the purpose of transferring the injured, as it is usually closed on public holidays, referring to the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The General Authority for Health Care in Egypt announced on Friday that "the state of readiness has been raised at three health facilities affiliated with the authority in case there is a need for hospitals to evacuate the injured and wounded from Gaza." The statement added that "Eid al-Fitr leaves for some doctors and medical and nursing staff at these facilities have been suspended in preparation for receiving those coming from the Gaza Strip for treatment."
In a related note, Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayyeb launched an international campaign to support the Palestinian people in multiple languages on his official Facebook and Twitter pages on Friday evening. He wrote on Twitter, "In all languages... the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar launches a global campaign to support #the_Palestinian_people." In his Arabic message of support for the Palestinians, Al-Tayyeb said, "I call upon the peoples of the world and their leaders to support the peaceful and oppressed Palestinian people in their legitimate and just cause to recover their rights, land, and sanctities." He added, "Stop the killing and support the rightful owner; enough silence and double standards if we truly seek peace... I pray to God to have mercy on the martyrs of Palestine and grant them His vast mercy and forgiveness."
