The second stop in the tour of caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati was Jordan after Qatar. Mikati’s tour aims to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and participate in ongoing Arab efforts to prevent the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon. He also seeks to visit Egypt and possibly Kuwait in the upcoming phase. Upon his arrival in Amman, Mikati was received at his residence by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, where they discussed developments in the region amid calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Mikati's visit to the Hashemite Kingdom coincided with a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where a meeting took place between them, also attended by Lebanese Ambassador to Jordan Joseph Emil Raji, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, and Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Sullivan.
During the meeting in the Jordanian capital, Mikati emphasized "the priority of working towards a ceasefire in Gaza to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression there, as well as addressing the Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon and the scorched earth policy pursued by Israel using internationally banned weapons to cause further human casualties and destroy southern areas and towns." He stressed that Lebanon is committed to international legitimacy and the application of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, and in coordination with UNIFIL, calls on the international community to pressure Israel to stop daily violations of its land and sovereignty by land, sea, and air.
For his part, the U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that he is making efforts to halt military operations for humanitarian purposes, alongside discussions on addressing the issue of prisoners. He noted, "It's critical that we make sure the Israel-Hamas conflict does not spread elsewhere in the region. Discussed with @Najib_Mikati ways to keep that from happening and secure humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. We also discussed Lebanon’s urgent need for a President."
