Reaching ceasefire in Gaza enables Hamas to regroup: Blinken

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that reaching an immediate ceasefire in Gaza would enable the Hamas movement to regroup its forces, reported Xinhua, quoting Jordan's state-run Petra News Agency.

He made the remarks during a joint press conference in Jordan's capital Amman with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, following a meeting with foreign ministers of some Arab countries as well as a PLO official on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

At the press conference, Blinken reaffirmed America's support for "humanitarian pauses" in Gaza that would allow aid delivery and civilians to move freely to safe places.

He stressed the need to protect Palestinian civilians while reaffirming his country's support for Israel's right to "defend itself against the Hamas movement."

He said the United States would leverage its influence to prevent any additional countries from opening new fronts in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

For his part, Safadi reiterated Jordan's call for an immediate ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

He refused to describe the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza as "self-defense," rejecting any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land while expressing his concern about the situation in the West Bank.

The Egyptian foreign minister called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza without conditions, adding that unfortunate killing incidents in Gaza cannot be justified.

He urged Israel to halt obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid and ensure its safe and rapid delivery to the besieged enclave.

Jordan hosted a closed-door meeting between Blinken and foreign ministers of the five Arab countries as well as the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Amman on Saturday.