International troops unlikely to enforce Gaza peace, says King of Jordan

King Abdullah of Jordan has warned that countries would reject being asked to "enforce" peace in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.

The 20-point plan envisions Arab states and international partners deploying stabilisation forces to support Palestinian police, while Hamas disarms and relinquishes political control.

"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," the King told BBC Panorama.

He added that Jordan and Egypt are willing to train Palestinian forces, but "if we're running around Gaza on patrol with weapons, that's not a situation that any country would like to get involved in."

King Abdullah said Jordan would not send forces itself, citing political sensitivities: more than half of its population is of Palestinian descent, and it has hosted 2.3 million refugees over decades. On Hamas’ commitment, he said:

"I don't know them, but those that are working extremely close to them – Qatar and Egypt – feel very, very optimistic that they will abide by that."

Jordan has actively helped evacuate sick and wounded Gazans, including 253 children, this year. "Looking over the back ramp was just shocking… how we, as the international community, are allowing this to happen is mind-boggling," the King said.

Queen Rania criticised the global community for failing to stop the conflict, but praised Trump for pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire.

"To his credit, Trump was the first president in a long time to actually apply pressure on Israel… and I hope that he continues to be engaged in this process," she said.

Israel has accused Hamas of prolonging the war and using civilians as human shields. Since October, 5,000 Gazans have been medically evacuated, but more than 15,000, including 3,000 children, remain awaiting evacuation, with security checks described by WHO as "excruciatingly slow."

On prospects for peace, Queen Rania said: "I truly believe that Palestinians and Israelis can exist side by side… with the push of the international community, that is the only way. Choosing hope… is the only path that doesn't deny Palestinians or betray their struggle or our humanity."

By Aghakazim Guliyev