Biden to Hold Meeting with King of Jordan during Gaza Negotiations

President Joe Biden is set to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Monday amid slim prospects for a Gaza cease-fire. Both Hamas and Israeli officials are blaming each other for the ongoing impasse.

On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its demand for an end to the war in exchange for the release of hostages, a demand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected. Hamas also carried out an attack on the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza, resulting in the deaths of three Israeli soldiers.

A Jordanian diplomat informed Reuters that Monday’s meeting between Biden and King Abdullah is informal and private, rather than a formal bilateral meeting.

The meeting comes as the Biden administration and Israeli officials continue to disagree over Israel’s planned military action in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Palestinians were instructed to evacuate certain areas starting on Monday.

Biden and King Abdullah last met at the White House in February, where they discussed various challenges including the impending Israeli ground offensive in southern Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Jordan and other Arab states have been critical of Israel’s actions and have been calling for a cease-fire since mid-October as civilian casualties have increased.

The conflict began after Hamas conducted a cross-border raid on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 252 hostages, according to Israeli reports.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israel’s assault.

Biden last spoke with Netanyahu on April 28, reiterating his stance on a potential invasion of Rafah. The U.S. president has been vocal in his insistence that Israel refrain from launching a ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect Palestinian civilians.

As pro-Palestinian protests continue to occur on college campuses across the U.S., Biden is facing increasing political pressure to urge Israel to hold off on an invasion. Despite addressing the campus unrest over the Gaza conflict last week, Biden stated that the protests had not led him to reconsider his policies in the Middle East.