Jordanian king urges world to alleviate tragedy of war in Gaza, increase humanitarian response

Jordanian King Abdullah II on Thursday urged the international community to join efforts to alleviate the tragedy of war in Gaza and increase humanitarian response for Palestinians following the announcement of the cease-fire deal, which is set to take effect on Sunday.

Abdullah, in a statement on his X account, welcomed the announcement of a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas and urged "the world to alleviate the tragedy by maximizing the humanitarian response."

The Jordanian monarch hailed Egypt, Qatar, and the US for their efforts in reaching the cease-fire agreement, affirming the Kingdom's "commitment to supporting the Palestinians, sustaining aid flow, and working for peace."

Late Wednesday evening, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani confirmed the cease-fire deal, which will go into effect on Sunday.

He outlined the first phase, which will last 42 days and include the release of 33 Israeli detainees in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.

The announcement comes on the 467th day of Israel's genocide in Gaza, which has killed and injured over 156,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children.

The war has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.