LONDON: Countries will reject “peace enforcing” in Gaza under the plan drawn up by US President Donald Trump, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has told the BBC.
The plan calls for Arab and other states to send personnel to “train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza, and (who) will consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field.”
The king said his country and Egypt would be prepared to train Palestinian security forces, but a scenario involving foreign troops upholding order in Gaza would be unacceptable.
“What is the mandate of security forces inside of Gaza? And we hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it’s peace enforcing, nobody will want to touch that,” he added.
“Peacekeeping is that you’re sitting there supporting the local police force, the Palestinians, which Jordan and Egypt are willing to train in large numbers, but that takes time.
“If we’re running around Gaza on patrol with weapons, that’s not a situation that any country would like to get involved in.”
The king said sending Jordanian troops to Gaza would be challenging because his country is “too close politically” to the situation.
Half of his subjects claim Palestinian descent, and 2.3 million Palestinian refugees reside in Jordan.
Fears abound among many members of the international community that peacekeepers could be caught up in renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas.
“If we don’t solve this problem, if we don’t find a future for Israelis and Palestinians and a relationship between the Arab and Muslim world and Israel, we’re doomed,” the king said.
In a separate interview with the BBC, Jordan’s Queen Rania condemned the failure of the international community to end the war sooner.
“You know what it’s like to be a parent over the last two years? To watch your children suffering, starving, shaking in terror, and to be powerless to do anything about it, and to know that the whole world is watching and not to do anything about it,” said the queen, who is of Palestinian heritage.
“That nightmare, it’s the nightmare of any parent, but that nightmare has been the daily reality for Palestinians for the last two years.”
She praised the Trump administration for breaking through the impasse, saying: “To his credit, Trump was the first president in a long time to actually apply pressure on Israel.
“Beforehand, when they crossed lines, the US president would just maybe just say a few words of rebuke, or they just get a slap on the wrist.
“President Trump actually got (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to actually agree to a ceasefire. And I hope that he continues to be engaged in this process.”
She added: “I truly believe that Palestinians and Israelis can exist side by side. In the current atmosphere, there’s too much animosity, too much anger and grief and hatred and cynicism between the two peoples to actually forge a peace on their own.
“I’m not being naive here. But I think, with the push of the international community, that is the only way.
“So many times during the past two years, hope had felt elusive. Choosing hope was not easy … It’s hard, it’s heavy. But it’s the only path that doesn’t deny Palestinians or betray their struggle or our humanity.”
