Jordan is expressing concern that IDF operations in Judea and Samaria might drive Palestinians to cross the border into Jordan seeking refuge, according to the Qatari-owned news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Such a mass influx could heighten tensions and security risks both in Jordan and throughout the Middle East.
Earlier in August, King Abdullah II stated that Jordan would “not allow any escalation in the region to come at the expense of Jordanians or Jordan’s security and safety.”
A Jordanian security expert told Al-Araby that there are also fears among senior Jordanian officials that Palestinians could become permanently displaced, leaving their land vulnerable to takeover by settlers.
The concern is that these developments, combined with the changes to the status quo regarding limited Jewish prayer at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, could undermine any prospects for a two-state solution, which is crucial to Jordan’s interest in supporting an independent Palestinian state.
In the past week, the IDF has conducted operations in Judea and Samaria, particularly targeting northern Samaria areas such as Jenin and Tulkarm.
IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani stated that these operations are crucial to curbing the escalation of terrorist activity in the region, emphasizing that while such activity is “not new,” it remains a “persistent threat.”
