The US President Biden's planned visit to Jordan, originally scheduled after his trip to Israel, has been abruptly canceled. The Jordanian foreign minister announced the cancellation of the meeting with Arab leaders.
This decision was characterized as "mutual" by a senior administration official. President Biden is still on track to visit Israel for a series of meetings scheduled for Wednesday.
The White House confirmed the cancellation just as the President was departing from Washington, D.C., to Israel. This change came less than 24 hours after the trip was initially announced. The President was supposed to journey to Amman, Jordan, to engage in discussions with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Prior to the President's departure, a tragic incident occurred at a hospital in Gaza, resulting in casualties, although the exact number is not yet clear. A spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces stated that Israel was not responsible for the attack, with Prime Minister Netanyahu asserting that their systems indicated it was a result of rocket fire from Gaza-based terrorists. Conversely, Hamas attributed the incident to Israel.
A White House official released a statement, explaining the cancellation: "After consulting with King Abdullah II of Jordan and considering the days of mourning declared by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, President Biden will postpone his travel to Jordan and the planned meetings with these two leaders and President Sisi of Egypt." The statement also conveyed the President's condolences for the innocent lives lost in the Gaza hospital explosion and his hopes for a swift recovery for the wounded. President Biden expressed his anticipation of future in-person consultations with these leaders and committed to maintaining direct engagement with them in the coming days.
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