King Abdullah on Gaza: 'No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt'

BERLIN - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday warned against trying to push Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan.

He said the humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.

"That is a red line, because I think that is the plan by certain of the usual suspects to try and create de facto issues on the ground. No refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt," King Abdullah said at a news conference following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

King Abdullah warned of a dire situation in the Middle East if the conflict between Israel and Hamas is allowed to spread to other countries.

“The whole region is on the brink of falling into the abyss,” King Abdullah said.

“All our efforts are needed to make sure we don’t get there,” he said.

Mr Scholz, who will travel to Israel later on Tuesday, also warned against an escalation.

“We have a common goal to prevent a conflagration in the region,” Mr Scholz said.

He will be the first head of government to visit Israel since

Hamas launched the bloodiest attack

in Israel’s 75-year history on Oct 7.

“I once again expressly warn Hezbollah and Iran not to intervene in this conflict,” he said.

Gaza-based Hamas fighters broke through Israel’s heavily fortified border on Oct 7.

The fighters shot, stabbed and burned to death more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.

Israel has responded with

devastating air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza

that have killed at least 2,800 Palestinians, mostly civilians.

Israel is deploying tens of thousands of troops to the border in preparation for a full-scale ground offensive.

Israel has told some 1.1 million Gazans – nearly half the population of at least 2.3 million – to leave the north of the densely populated enclave, in anticipation of the operation.

Thousands have gathered at Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only one not controlled by Israel, in an effort to flee. REUTERS, AFP