Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced that Jordan will not host a quadrilateral summit planned to take place in Amman with the participation of the American president, Joe Biden. The decision comes in the wake of the deadly attack on a hospital in Gaza that claimed at least 500 lives, intensifying regional tensions and prompting calls for urgent humanitarian action.
The minister spoke on Jordanian state television Al Mamlaka after Jordan declared three days of mourning for the Al Ahli hospital bombing in Gaza. He indicated that if the summit proceeds, its aim must be to secure a firm halt to the fighting, uphold the dignity and humanity of Palestinians, and ensure they receive the aid essential for relief. Erdogan later described the conflict as placing a heavy burden on the region, signaling a deeper concern among regional leaders about the crisis.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abou Zeid confirmed that the summit would not go ahead. Shortly before the cancellation, the Palestinian President indicated that he would not attend the gathering either, signaling a shift in regional diplomacy on the crisis.
Meanwhile, the American president is slated to visit Israel on Wednesday, where he plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The agenda includes discussions with key Arab mediators in the Gaza conflict, namely Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, and a focus on opening humanitarian corridors, ensuring the safe movement of foreigners in the affected areas, and preventing further escalation.
In Gaza, the hospital attack marked the highest single-day death toll in the current conflict, with many civilians seeking refuge in health facilities as airstrikes continued. The Palestinian movement governing Gaza condemned the assault, while the Israeli military attributed the explosion to an unsuccessful rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad aimed at Israel.
The toll in this conflict has surpassed several grim milestones since the fighting began on October 7, with tens of thousands of Palestinians reported killed or injured and more than a thousand people on the Israeli side affected by the hostilities. The war has prompted a large-scale humanitarian crisis, drawing international concern and sparking renewed negotiations over ceasefires, aid access, and the protection of civilians in conflict zones.