Egyptian, Jordanian leaders stress 'unity' of positions on Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II stressed on Wednesday the "unity" of their countries' positions on Gaza, a day after US President Donald Trump held talks with the Jordanian monarch in Washington.

"The two leaders affirmed the unity of the Egyptian and Jordanian positions," on the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, "without displacing the Palestinian people from their land," a statement from the Egyptian presidency read.

Another statement from the Jordanian royal court said that the two leaders stressed their "shared position" rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians.

Both statements also referred to their willingness to "cooperate" with Trump to achieve "just and lasting peace" in the Middle East.

Egypt and Jordan have been at the forefront of a fierce Arab pushback against a Trump plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to the two countries.

Trump's remarks have been coupled with a suggestion that he could "conceivably" halt aid to both countries if they refuse to take in Palestinians.

After his talks with Trump in Washington on Tuesday, King Abdullah II said that his country remains "steadfast" in its position against the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. "This is the unified Arab position," Abdullah wrote on social media.

Egypt announced this week that it would host a summit of Arab nations later this month. It also said it would present a "comprehensive vision" for Gaza's reconstruction in a way that ensures Palestinians remain on their land.

Meanwhile, Egyptian and Qatari mediators were working to salvage the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, which risks being derailed because of a dispute between the two sides, according to Egypt's state-run Al Qahera News TV.

Hamas has warned it will delay the next release of hostages scheduled for Saturday, saying Israel has violated the truce by firing on people in Gaza and not allowing the agreed-upon number of tents, shelters and other vital aid to enter the territory.

Since the fragile ceasefire took hold on Jan. 19, Israeli fire has killed at least 92 Palestinians and wounded more than 800 others, said Munir Al Bursh, director general of the Health Ministry, on Tuesday.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that "all hell would break loose" on Hamas if the Palestinian group fails to free hostages on Saturday, as it has threatened to do. Israel Katz said that if Hamas stops freeing hostages "then there is no deal and there is war."

Katz said his threat echoed US President Donald Trump, who has warned there would be "hell to pay" if the hostages aren't freed.

The fragile ceasefire is facing a significant test following accusations by Hamas that Israel was not meeting its commitments under the ceasefire deal, including over humanitarian aid. That prompted the militant group to threaten to delay the next hostage release scheduled for Saturday. Israel has said it would resume the war if the hostages aren't released as planned.

Agencies