Jordan’s King Abdullah Rejects “Enforcement” Role in Gaza Peace Plan
King Abdullah of Jordan has expressed reservations about a proposed peace plan for Gaza, spearheaded by former U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly regarding the role of international forces. In an interview with the BBC, the King stated that countries would likely refuse to participate in “enforcing” peace in Gaza, as outlined in the Trump plan.
The 20-point peace plan envisions the deployment of Arab and international forces to stabilize the region. These forces would be tasked with “training and supporting vetted Palestinian police in Gaza, consulting with Jordan and Egypt, who have extensive experience in this area.” The plan also stipulates that Hamas would disarm and relinquish political control of Gaza.
“What is the mandate of the security forces inside Gaza? We are happy to keep the peace, but as far as enforcing the peace, I don’t think anybody wants to touch that,” King Abdullah explained.
He clarified that Jordan and Egypt are willing to train Palestinian security forces. “Keeping the peace means that we are there supporting the local police, the Palestinians. Jordan and Egypt are willing to train on large numbers, but that needs time. If we are patrolling around Gaza with guns, no country wants to be involved in that situation.”
King Abdullah’s statements highlight concerns shared by the U.S. and other nations about becoming entangled in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, or internal Palestinian disputes.
The King also ruled out the possibility of sending Jordanian troops to Gaza, citing Jordan’s close political ties to the situation. A significant portion of Jordan’s population, over half, is of Palestinian descent. For decades, Jordan has accommodated 2.3 million Palestinian refugees fleeing previous conflicts with Israel, the largest concentration in the Middle East.
When questioned about Hamas’s commitment to relinquishing political power in Gaza, King Abdullah responded, “I don’t know them, but those that are working very closely with them—Qatar and Egypt—feel very, very optimistic that they are committed to that.”
He stressed the critical need for a resolution: “If we don’t fix this issue, if we don’t find a future for both Israelis and Palestinians and the relationship between the Arab and Muslim world with Israel, we are doomed.”
Key mediation efforts have been led by Qatar and Egypt, in cooperation with the United States. Jordan has actively participated in international efforts to deliver aid to Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children. King Abdullah himself joined three aid delivery missions to Gaza.
“To look at the back door of the plane was quite shocking,” he said. “The devastation in Gaza shocked me. I’ve seen it myself, and how we, as an international community, have allowed this to happen is beyond me.”
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King Abdullah has sought President Trump’s support for evacuating 2,000 critically ill Palestinian children from Gaza. During a White House meeting in February, Trump lauded it as “a beautiful form of action.”
Since then, 253 children have been evacuated to Jordan. Overall, more than 5,000 have been medically evacuated, primarily to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 15,000 Gazans, including approximately 3,000 children, are still awaiting evacuation.
The process of evacuating children and their guardians from Gaza involves comprehensive security checks by Israel and host countries. The WHO has described this process as “extremely slow.” Cogat, the Israeli military group overseeing aid to Gaza, asserts that it places “great importance” on facilitating humanitarian aid, including the evacuation of patients with “complex medical conditions,” while emphasizing the necessity of security screenings for individuals traveling through Israeli territory.
Queen Rania of Jordan, in her BBC Panorama interview, criticized the international community’s failure to end the two-year conflict.
“Do you know what it feels like to be a parent for the last two years? Watching children suffer, starve, tremble in fear, and being helpless to do anything, and knowing that the whole world is watching and doing nothing. That nightmare, every parent’s nightmare, but that nightmare has been a daily reality for Palestinians for the last two years.”
Queen Rania, who is of Palestinian descent, commended President Trump for his efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. She noted that Trump has leveraged America’s diplomatic, military, and financial support as leverage against Israel.
“Trump deserves credit for being the first president in a long time to really pressure Israel. In the past, when they crossed the line, the US president might issue a few words of reprimand or they would just get a slap on the wrist. President Trump even managed to get [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. And I hope he continues to be involved in the process.”
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of prolonging the conflict by refusing to release Israeli hostages. Israel also accuses Hamas—designated as a terrorist organization by the UK, US, and EU—of using civilians as human shields in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, over 68,000 people have been killed since Israel invaded the territory.
The Israeli invasion followed a Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians. Hamas also took 251 hostages in Gaza.
Since then, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for alleged war crimes against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, although Hamas later confirmed that he had been killed in an airstrike.
The signing of the Trump-brokered ceasefire agreement also resulted in the release of 20 living Israeli hostages from Gaza, with ongoing efforts to locate the remains of deceased victims.
In exchange, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis, as well as approximately 1,700 prisoners from Gaza who had been detained by Israel without charge.
When asked if she believed lasting peace was possible, Queen Rania stated that hope was not naive, but rather a form of resistance.
“I truly believe that Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side,” she said. “In the current atmosphere, there’s too much animosity, too much anger, sadness, hate, and cynicism between the two people to actually achieve peace alone. I’m not naive here. But I think with the encouragement of the international community, that is the only way.”
“So many times over the last two years, hope has felt elusive. Choosing hope is not easy… it’s difficult, it’s heavy. But it’s the only path that doesn’t deny Palestinians or betray their struggle or our humanity.”
Additional reporting by Alice Doyard, Suha Kawar, David McIlveen, and Liam Connell.
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Summary
King Abdullah of Jordan expressed strong reservations about a proposed peace plan for Gaza, specifically rejecting the role of international forces in “enforcing” peace as outlined in former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan. He stated that countries would likely refuse such a mandate, clarifying that Jordan and Egypt are prepared to train Palestinian security forces but not to patrol with arms. The King also ruled out sending Jordanian troops to Gaza due to Jordan’s deep political ties and significant Palestinian population, stressing the urgent need for a viable future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Highlighting the immense devastation, King Abdullah personally participated in aid delivery missions to Gaza and supported efforts to evacuate critically ill children, a cause President Trump also commended. Queen Rania echoed concerns, criticizing the international community’s failure to end the conflict but praising President Trump for his efforts to pressure Israel into a ceasefire. She conveyed that while challenging, lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis is achievable with international encouragement, viewing hope as a crucial form of resistance.