Jordan’s King Abdullah II has cautioned that countries would reject any role requiring them to “enforce” peace in Gaza under U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed ceasefire plan, warning that no nation would want to be drawn into active conflict in the territory.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with BBC Panorama, the King said the U.S.-backed 20-point peace plan calls on Arab states and international partners to deploy stabilization forces to train and support vetted Palestinian police units in Gaza. The plan also proposes that Hamas disarm and relinquish political control of the enclave.
“What is the mandate of security forces inside Gaza? And we hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it’s peace enforcing, nobody will want to touch that,” King Abdullah said.
He explained that Jordan and Egypt were prepared to train Palestinian security forces but would not deploy troops to patrol the territory.
“Peacekeeping means supporting local Palestinian police forces, which Jordan and Egypt are willing to train in large numbers—but that takes time,” the monarch said. “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 comments underscore growing concerns among Arab and Western partners about being pulled into renewed clashes between Hamas and Israel. King Abdullah noted that Jordan, with more than half of its population of Palestinian descent and over 2.3 million registered Palestinian refugees, is “too close politically” to send forces into Gaza.
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Asked whether he trusted Hamas to surrender political control as stipulated by the Trump plan, the King said he relied on the assurances of regional mediators.
“I don’t know them, but those working closely with them—Qatar and Egypt—feel very optimistic that they will abide by that,” he said. “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 U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have led mediation efforts since the outbreak of the Gaza war. Jordan has contributed to humanitarian operations, delivering aid and evacuating wounded children from the enclave.
King Abdullah, who has personally flown three humanitarian missions to Gaza, described the destruction as “shocking.”
“Looking over the back ramp was just shocking,” he said. “The devastation of that part of Gaza was just a shock to me. How we, as the international community, are allowing this to happen is mind-boggling.”
The King also appealed for U.S. assistance to evacuate 2,000 critically ill Palestinian children. President Trump, following their February meeting at the White House, called the request a “beautiful gesture.”
According to the World Health Organization, 5,000 Gazans—including 253 children evacuated to Jordan—have been relocated for medical treatment, while more than 15,000 others, including 3,000 children, remain on waiting lists.
The WHO has described the process of vetting and evacuation as “excruciatingly slow,” citing extensive security checks by Israel and host countries. Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said it “places great importance” on facilitating humanitarian evacuations while maintaining necessary security procedures.
