Biden pledges more than $5B to support rural America

President Joe Biden pledged more than $5 billion to sparsely populated areas of the United States on Wednesday to support new climate-smart agricultural techniques, infrastructure upgrades, high-speed Internet and new jobs. Photo courtesy of White House/YouTube

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden pledged more than $5 billion to sparsely populated areas of the United States on Wednesday to support new climate-smart agricultural techniques, infrastructure upgrades, high-speed internet and new jobs.

Biden, with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, announced the new initiative in Minnesota as part of his administration's two-week campaign across rural America. Some of the spending includes:

• $1.7 billion to help farmers, ranchers and foresters develop new revenue streams with climate-smart agricultural techniques, including growing crops that naturally sequester carbon and improve soil quality, farming in a way that limits soil disturbance and creating riparian buffers to protect nearby waterways from pollutants.
• $1.1 billion in loans and grants to upgrade infrastructure in rural communities to bring clean water and fuel and reliable electricity
• $2 billion across 99 economic development projects to create jobs, increase access to affordable healthcare and housing and clean water and energy
• $247 million to expand access to high-speed internet
• $145 million to fund 700 loans and grants to help small businesses make energy-efficient improvements to their operations

During his speech, Biden said providing funding to rural America drives growth nationwide.

"When rural America does well, when Indian country does well, we all do well," he said.

CHICAGO
Advocates for homeless seek creative solutions as cities crack down on car-camping



1 of 2 | Bring Chicago Home supporters, pushing for a new tax program that would raise funds for services, gather outside Grace Church of Logan Square in December. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Coalition For The Homeless



Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Homelessness has been a compounding issue for more than 40 years in the United States and advocates are seeking creative ways to address the root of the problem and protect the rights of the unhoused.

The root cause is a Reagan-era change in U.S. policy that shortchanged funding for affordable housing, and the broad deregulation of the housing market. State and local governments have been unable to fill the gap, while corporations, do-it-yourselfers and wealthy investors have turned the real estate market into a cash mine, experts told UPI.

"What we're seeing today is Great Depression levels of homelessness, even without the stock market crash, because the economic inequality has grown so deep," Eric Tars, senior policy director for the National Homelessness Law Center, said in a recent interview. "And we've lost the social safety nets we built after the Great Depression to prevent this from happening again."

The United States does not have a housing shortage, Tars said. Rather, it has an unwillingness to house those in need. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people without homes across the country.

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The exact number is difficult to measure, as people couch surf and local ordinances push the unhoused out of public view, in some cases criminalizing homelessness.

Punishing the unhoused

Tars' organization uses litigation to advocate for the rights of unhoused people. This includes combating laws and ordinances that target them.

Cities across the country have adopted ordinances that advocates say criminalize homelessness, such as restrictions on camping, sitting or lying in certain public places.

These ordinances lead to a higher frequency of interactions with law enforcement. More than one-third of all use-of-force incidents in San Francisco in September occurred against unhoused people, Tars said.

The enforcement of these ordinances comes at a significant cost to taxpayers. Tars said it costs more to jail the unhoused and hold court hearings for them than it would to house them.

The National Homelessness Law Center's "Housing, Not Handcuffs'' campaign calls for the repeal of laws that prohibit or limit the use of public spaces by the unhoused. It also calls for more investment in affordable housing and policies to protect homeless people from discrimination.

Rising costs of living and a housing market that is difficult to enter for a low-income family have also created an inequitable landscape. While homeowners benefit from state and local tax incentives, renters are at the will of their landlords with no incentives to reap.

"The more homes you mortgage, the more of a subsidy you get," Tars said. "These are for predominantly White, wealthy Americans. You never hear it talked about as a subsidy. You never hear homeowners challenged with drug tests and other measures. Everybody who asks for a tax credit can get it.

"Then on the affordable housing side, three out of four people who need a housing voucher or public housing don't get it," he said.

Tars notes that people of color and the LGBTQIA+ community are disproportionately represented in the unhoused population.

Tax credits for renters, similar to the child tax credit offered during the COVID-19 pandemic, could help keep people in homes and move them further from poverty. NHLC also proposes that protections be enacted so no person pays more than 30% of their income on rent.

Vehicle camping

As people seek new forms of shelter, more ordinances are being enacted. The fastest-growing method of criminalizing homelessness, Tars said, is prohibiting car camping. Between 2006 and 2019, the number of ordinances that banned people from living in their vehicle rose by 213%.

In places where these ordinances do not yet exist, other practices keep people from car camping, like parking regulations that punish violators by towing their vehicles, or the placement of concrete blocks to shrink parking spaces.

"Losing that vehicle is absolutely devastating. We have rights to our private property," Graham Pruss, director and co-founder of the National Vehicle Residency Collective, told UPI. "It's not just a private property. It's a residence. It is an international human right to choose the form of residency we want."

Pruss is an anthropologist who has been studying vehicle residents for more than a decade. A recent study by his organization estimates that more than 25,000 people along the West Coast are living in their vehicles. This includes recreational vehicles and vehicles of all types and sizes.

Vehicle residency is the most prominent on the West Coast, but it is occurring everywhere, Pruss said. There are some who choose to live in their vehicle as a lifestyle choice, opting to travel or live with limited expenses. But many move into vehicles as a last resort to avoid having no shelter at all.

A 2022 study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that about 40% of unhoused people have no access to shelter.

It has become common for cities to allow RVs, converted buses and other large vehicles to only park overnight in industrial districts. These districts are often food and water deserts.

This also separates people from systems of care, such as homeless services and healthcare.

"This person is often employed in the local economy and a taxpayer," Pruss said. "Vehicles as a form of affordable housing are a familiar pool of affordable housing. Many vehicle residents don't see themselves as homeless. Our neighbors who are living in vehicles are just that. They are our neighbors."

Bring Chicago Home

With more than 68,000 people unhoused in Chicago, Mayor Brandon Johnson and a coalition of advocates are pushing for a new tax program that would raise funds for relevant services. Meanwhile, those without shelter are bracing for the cold months ahead.

The proposal, called "Bring Chicago Home," would restructure the Real Estate Transfer Tax to increase the one-time tax on properties sold for more than $1 million. It would also decrease the tax on properties sold for less than $1 million from 0.75% to 0.60%..

The funds raised by this tax would be used to provide new permanent housing and wraparound services for the unhoused.

The increased tax for homes sold for more than $1 million would only apply to the amount over the $1 million threshold. The rate increase would be tiered based on the total amount of the sale, with increases of up to four times the previous tax rate. It would apply to less than 5% of properties sold in Chicago annually and is estimated to generate more than $100 million each year.

According to the Bring Chicago Home campaign, 72% of voters support the plan. The Chicago city council has advanced the plan, as well. On Tuesday, the council's rules committee voted 32-16 in favor of placing the proposal on ballots in March as a referendum.

"Today, we moved one step closer to fighting homelessness for thousands of unhoused Chicagoans," Johnson tweeted Tuesday. Homelessness is up 12% since 2019. Black Chicagoans account for 69% of the unhoused in our city. There are nearly 17,000 unhoused students in [Chicago public schools]. It's time to Bring Chicago Home."

REST IN POWER
Tributes pour in after healthcare activist Ady Barkan's death from ALS

 Ady Barkan, who advocated for medicare for all while battling the terminal illness ALS, died Wednesday. His organization Be A Hero posted a statement, praising his work to "stop health insurance corporations from gouging Medicare and denying patients care." Photo courtesy of Be A Hero

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Ady Barkan, an activist who championed health care for all while struggling with the terminal neurodegenerative disease ALS, died Wednesday. He was 39.

An author and an activist, Barkan dedicated the rest of his life to pushing for Medicare for all after his own dire prognosis in 2016, when he learned he had the terminal neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which often is called Lou Gehrig's disease.

Jamila Headley, executive director of the Barkan-founded organization Be a Hero, said in a statement, "After his diagnosis, Ady chose to use the time he had left fighting to create a country where health care is treated as a human right. He knew he was building something that would outlast him, and his relentless campaigning made him one of the most prominent health care advocates in the nation."

She said that as he confronted his own ALS, Barkan spent his days working to "stop health insurance corporations from gouging Medicare and denying patients care, and fighting to make it possible for people with disabilities and older adults who need home and community-based services to get the care they need surrounded by the people they love."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., posted a statement on X Wednesday night that said, "Ady Barkan was a hero who made this world a better place. I'm grateful for his years of friendship and my heart is with Rachael, Willow, and Carl tonight."

Hers was one of several tributes from elected political leaders.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also posted on X, saying, "Ady Barkan was an inspiration to all of us. There are very few people in this country who have done more to make health care a human right. To honor his life, let us dedicate ourselves to completing his work."

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on X, "We are heartbroken by Ady Barkan's passing. No one worked smarter to advance the principle that health care is a right, not a privilege. It was an honor to be with Ady at the FDR 4 Freedoms Awards last month. He always urged us: Be A Hero. Ady, you are mine. RIP dear friend."

The House Democrat progressive caucus said their movement had lost a hero.

When he testified before Congress in 2019 supporting the bill commonly called Medicare For All, Barkan said, "On the day we are born and on the day we die, and on so many days in between, all of us need medical care. And yet, in this country, the wealthiest in the history of human civilization, we do not have an effective or fair or rational system for delivering that care."

New York announces $328 million settlement with Uber, Lyft over driver wage theft


New York said Uber and Lyft on Thursday agreed to a $328 million settlement over allegations of wage theft.

John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Thursday that her office reached a $328 million settlement with Uber and Lyft over allegations of wage stealing from its drivers.

James said that drivers will receive mandatory paid sick leave, minimum pay and a handful of other benefits as part of the settlement in the case that charged Uber and Lyft were withholding "hundreds of millions" of dollars in unpaid funds, along with denying them of state-required labor benefits.

Uber will pay $290 million and Lyft will pay $38 million in two separate settlement funds that will go to backpay to drivers, paid sick leave, proper hiring and earnings notices, and other improvements in drivers' working conditions.

"Rideshare drivers work at all hours of the day and night to take people wherever they need to go," James said in a statement. "For years, Uber and Lyft systematically cheated their drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars in pay and benefits while they worked long hours in challenging conditions

"These drivers overwhelmingly come from immigrant communities and rely on these jobs to provide for their families. These settlements will ensure they finally get what they have rightfully earned and are owed under the law."

James said on social media that more than 100,000 drivers were cheated out of wages and will now be eligible to get some relief. Her office said eligible drivers will be able to file a claim to receive the funds they are owed.

Notices concerning the distribution will be delivered to drivers by mail, email and/or text message.

"We are thrilled that our members won this historic victory to recover their stolen income," said New York Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai said in a statement. "For years, our union has been fighting to recover stolen wages for New York City Uber and Lyft drivers who were cheated out of better living conditions, timely meals, rest, and leisure.

"We're proud to be the union that fights for New York City drivers, and we're thankful to Attorney General Letitia James, who stood by workers, believed in our complaint, and understood the urgency of this recovery."

Oil leaking ferry Marco Polo freed after running aground in southern Sweden


The oil-leaking ferry Marco Polo is expected to be towed in to dock Thursday in Karlshamn, Sweden. It was freed after running aground Oct. 22 and leaking oil into Pukavik Bay. 

Photo courtesy of Swedish Coast Guard


Nov. 2 (UPI) -- An oil-leaking ferry that ran aground in the Baltic Sea Oct. 22 has been freed as a new oil leak was found. The Marco Polo will be towed into Stillerydshamnen in Karlshamn, Sweden, on Thursday.

The Swedish Coast Guard said in a statement, "The oil spill was less than feared in connection with the move. Much thanks to the salvage company choosing not to pressurize the tanks closest to the injured. The Coast Guard had several units on site during Wednesday and cleaned up the small amount of oil found at sea."


The coast guard said the "the wrecked Marco Polo was relieved from the ground she ran into on Sunday and was towed as planned to a nearby place for anchorage. The salvage company then carried out new investigations of the ship's condition."

The Marco Polo is operated by the German company TT-Line.

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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the company "bears full responsibility." He said Sweden expects the ferry operator to fully participate in an investigation as well as the environmental clean-up.

Marco Polo's captain and an officer in charge of the vessel at the time it ran aground were fined for recklessly relying on a faulty GPS, according to Swedish prosecutors.

The Swedish Coast Guard said more than 6,600 gallons of oil had leaked from the ship as of Oct. 30 and spread over 3.1 miles at sea. Coast guards from several parts of Sweden sent vessels and personnel to try to contain and clean up the spill.

The coast guard said the total amount of oil leaked is unknown.

The oil reached the shore and wildlife affecting approximately 500 birds in Pukavik Bay, according to Swedish broadcaster SVT.

Study: State of democracy declines worldwide amid tainted elections, eroding freedoms

Civil liberties, judicial independence under threat in 85 democratic countries

Democratic values were faltering in nearly half of 173 world countries due to weakening government checks and balances, corruption, and rigged elections, adding to a disturbing global trend highlighted by a wave of political coups throughout Africa over the past five years, a new global political study says. File Photo by Belal Khaled/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 2 (UPI) -- The state of democracy is diminishing around the globe as dozens of nations experienced recent declines in democratic values, including tainted elections and restrictions on individual freedoms, according to a new study published Thursday by a Swedish political advocacy group.

The analysis by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance said democratic norms and standards were faltering in nearly half of the 173 countries it surveyed due to weakening government checks and balances, corruption, rigged elections, and a general lack of accountability from elected leaders who flout the law.

A collective focus on major crises, including inflation, climate change, and simultaneous wars in Ukraine and Israel, were continuing to divert attention from the waning state of fundamental principles that underpin democracy worldwide, the report warns.

In the last five years, 85 nations surveyed in the study witnessed eroding democracy in areas such as civil liberties and judicial independence, marking the longest continuous decline in democratic values since 1975, the report said.

The study -- conducted in five world regions, including Europe, the Americas, Africa, West Asia, and the Indo-Pacific -- ranked countries in four categories, including representation, rights, rule of law, and electoral participation.

Democratic regression spanned the globe from South Korea to Brazil, and from Canada to El Salvador and Hungary, the report says, while judicial independence and protection from political violence were continuing to slide, even in democratic nations like Austria, Hungary and Peru.

Even strong democracies like Costa Rica and Portugal have struggled to achieve effective parliamentary oversight and credible elections in recent years, adding to a disturbing global trend highlighted by a wave of political coups throughout Africa.

Respect for fundamental rights -- such as freedom of speech, expression and assembly -- was deteriorating across all regions, including countries like Austria, El Salvador, Italy, Senegal and Slovenia, the report says.

In a silver lining, there were some signs of progress as more people were engaging in the political process worldwide, especially in Ethiopia, Zambia, and Fiji, which resulted in less overall corruption.

However, challenges remained in areas like social equality, press freedoms, and equitable justice -- with major declines observed over the past five years in the United States, Austria and Britain.

At the same time, election monitors, anti-corruption agencies and independent civil rights groups have emerged recently as the new global watchdogs, holding those in power accountable.

"Many countries are struggling now even with basic aspects of democracy," said Kevin Casas-Zamora, the Secretary-General of International IDEA. "But while many of our formal institutions like legislatures are weakening, there is hope that these more informal checks and balances, from journalists to election organizers and anti-corruption commissioners, can successfully battle authoritarian and populist trends."

The report concludes by calling on world governments to promote and uphold democratic values in future policy measures, and to enact legal protections for independent institutions to protect elections, investigate corruption and supervise government programs.

Israel sends thousands of Palestinian workers back to war-torn Gaza

A DEATH SENTENCE

Israel Friday began expelling thousands of Palestinian workers who had been working in Israel before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack back to war-torn Gaza.

 Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Israel on Friday began sending thousands of Gaza workers who had been working in Israel when the Oct. 7 Hamas attack occurred back to the war-ravaged enclave.

The workers started returning to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel.

"Israel is severing all contact with Gaza. There will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza," Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "Those workers from Gaza who were in Israel on the day of the outbreak of the war will be returned to Gaza."

Israel also said its security cabinet decided to "deduct all funds designated for the Gaza Strip -- in addition to the deduction, required by law, of funds paid to terrorists and their families -- from Palestinian Authority funds."

Israel collects taxes on the Palestinian Authority's behalf and transfers them monthly under the Oslo peace accords.

"What happened to us never happened to any human being before.They suspended our permissions. We tried to go to the West Bank. They detained us and put us in places we never knew where we were," One of the returned workers told CNN.

Roughly 18,000 Gaza Palestinians had permission to work in Gaza before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

A group of about 130 Gaza Palestinian workers complained of ill-treatment after that attack, according to USA Today, alleging they had been arrested, beaten and then transferred from Israel to Ramallah in the West Bank.

One of those workers said they had great difficulty trying to contact their families as Gaza was being bombed.

"I am powerless to help them, and for every 10 times I try to reach them on the phone, I get through maybe once," said the worker, speaking in Ramallah.

Hundreds of civilians, including about 400 Americans, left Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt Thursday. A total of 600 foreign passport holders, including dual national Palestinians from 14 countries, were allowed to leave.

Israel sends back thousands of Palestinian workers

Palestinian workers arrive at the Kerem Shalom border crossing as Israel sends back thousands of Palestinian workers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on November 3, 2023. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

HENIOUS WAR CRIME

Israeli military strikes ambulance convoy in Gaza, saying it was used by Hamas PATHETIC

Smoke rises after the Israeli bombardment of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Friday. Israel said on Friday that its forces struck an ambulance convoy in southern Gaza and said it was being used by Hamas. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo

Nov. 3 (UPI) -- As Israeli forces encircled Gaza City on Friday, the military confirmed that its aircraft struck an ambulance convoy outside al-Shifa hospital, saying it was being used by Hamas.

The Palestinian Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, said the ambulances were transporting injured patients to Egypt's Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza.

"An IDF aircraft struck an ambulance that was identified by forces as being used by a Hamas terrorist cell in close proximity to their position in the battle zone," the IDF said in a statement. "A number of Hamas terrorist operatives were killed in the strike. We have information which demonstrates that Hamas' method of operation is to transfer terror operatives and weapons in ambulances."

Witnesses reported dozens of casualties from the strike.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society posted images of one of its ambulances hit by the IDF in the strike outside of al-Shifa hospital on X.

The PRCS also posted another image of damaged ambulances it said were hit by Israel on Rashid Street in western Gaza.

"At precisely 16:30, Israeli occupying forces launched an airstrike on Rashid Street in the western part of Gaza. Their target was a group of ambulance vehicles returning from a mission to transport injured individuals to the Rafah border, which included an ambulance affiliated with the PRCS," PRCS wrote on X.

The strikes occurred as the Gaza health ministry reported 9,257 people have been killed by Israeli attacks so far, including 3,826 children.

And it happened as Gaza hospitals were critically low on fuel needed to keep life-saving machines and surgeries functional as casualties from Israel's heavy bombing of Gaza continued to surge.

Several developments were happening simultaneously Friday.

As the Biden administration called for a humanitarian pause in the war, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders reiterating U.S. support for Israel but also urging more care be taken to avoid civilian casualties.

As he left the U.S. for Tel Aviv Blinken said, "When I see a Palestinian child -- a boy, a girl -- pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, that hits me in the gut as much as seeing a child from Israel or anywhere else."

According to the State Department Blinken is urging Israel to "defend itself against terrorism consistent with international humanitarian law."

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrah said in his first public remarks since the war started that his forces are exchanging fire with Israel's military along the northern border with Lebanon designed to keep portions of the IDF tied up to lessen the burden on Hamas in Gaza.

"The Lebanese front has lessened a large part of the forces that were going to escalate the attack on Gaza," Nasrallah said. "Some in Lebanon say that we are taking a risk, it's true. But this risk is part of a beneficial, correct calculation."

He said the U.S. aircraft carrier fleets deployed as a deterrent doesn't intimidate Hezbollah. "Your fleets that you threaten us with, we are prepared for them as well," he said.

The Hezbollah leader called the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel a successful operation that was 100% Palestinian.

He said it was "a big event to shake this oppressive ... occupying, usurping Zionist regime and its supporters in Washington and London."

The first groups of American citizens that left Gaza through the Rafah crossing were welcomed by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo Friday afternoon.

Israel expelled thousands of Palestinian workers who began to re-enter Gaza Friday after being held in detention in the aftermath of the Hama Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no ceasefire until Hamas frees all hostages abducted Oct. 7 from Israel.

At a Friday press conference, Gaza's health ministry described horrific conditions for civilians there as it urgently appealed for fuel to keep hospitals running on the 28th day of the Israeli bombardment.

The Israeli attack is in response to a surprise attack from Gaza by Hamas Oct. 7 that killed approximately 1,100 civilians and more than 300 soldiers in Israel as more than 200 hostages were taken into Gaza by Hamas.

The Gaza health ministry said Friday main electrical generators in the Al-Shifa Medical Complex and the Indonesian Hospital have stopped due to lack of fuel. Secondary generators are operating to keep emergency services working while electricity has been cut in the rest of the hospital departments.

"We appeal to all international institutions to intervene urgently to supply the Al-Shifa Medical Complex and the Indonesian Hospital with fuel before an imminent disaster occurs," the Gaza Ministry of Health said in a Facebook statement

The ministry said Israel has deliberately targeted hospitals and other medical facilities.

"The Israeli occupation deliberately targeted 102 health institutions and put 16 hospitals and 32 primary care centers out of service as a result of the targeting or failure to bring in fuel," the Gaza health ministry said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said in a statement that Israeli troops have surrounded Gaza in the northern part of the strip from several directions.

He said fuel would be allowed into Gaza through the Egyptian Rafah crossing if Israel determines that hospitals have run out of fuel.

In a separate statement the IDF said its forces worked with the Israeli Securities Authority and eliminated a Hamas battalion commander during overnight operations.

"Mustafa Dalul directed combat against IDF forces and held key positions in Hamas' Gaza City Brigade," it said. "Our ground, aerial and naval forces continue to operate to eliminate Hamas' chain of command and terrorist capabilities."

The IDF also said Friday its troops have uncovered tunnel shafts used by Hamas, rigged them with explosives and "neutralized Hamas's terrorist tunnels during special operations inside Gaza."

Gaza's health ministry called on Turkey to "intervene urgently to protect the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, supply it with fuel, and save 10,000 cancer patients."

The ministry thanked Egypt for allowing "the exit of dozens of wounded and their companions during the last three days."

The ministry said at the Friday press conference that "Israeli violations against the health system led to the death of 136 health personnel and the destruction of 25 ambulances."

Jordan to tell Blinken Israel must immediately stop war on Gaza -official statement

Reuters
Thu, November 2, 2023 

 Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will tell U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman on Saturday that Israel must end its war on Gaza where he said it was committing war crimes by bombing civilians and imposing a siege.

In a foreign ministry statement, Safadi warned that Israel's unreadiness to end the war was pushing the region rapidly towards a regional war that threatened world peace.

"Safadi will stress (to Blinken) the need to move immediately to stop the Israeli war on Gaza ... and that Israel abide by international law and stop its breaches," Safadi said.

Speaking to reporters moments before departing on his second Middle East trip in less than a month, Blinken said discussions on the future of Gaza when and if Hamas is defeated, and ways to ensure the conflict does not spread will also be areas of focus during his trip.

The conflict has stirred long-standing fears in Jordan, home to a large population of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, that a wider conflagration would give Israel the chance to implement a transfer policy to expel Palestinians en masse from the West Bank.

Jordan, which shares a border with the West Bank, absorbed the bulk of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of their homes when Israel was created in 1948.

King Abdullah on Wednesday said Israel's "military and security solution" against Palestinians would not succeed, adding the only path to a just and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace were negotiations leading to a two-state solution.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
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Blinken to hear call for Gaza ceasefire from regional ministers in Jordan on Saturday

Suleiman Al-Khalidi

Updated Fri, November 3, 2023 at 3:02 PM MDT·2 min read

33

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Jordan

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State  will hear demands for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Middle East foreign ministers in Jordan on Saturday, Jordan's foreign ministry said.

Saudi, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers as well as Palestinian representatives will stress the "Arab stance calling for an immediate ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid and ways of ending the dangerous deterioration that threatens the security of the region", the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Israel has attacked Hamas-controlled Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 raid on Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostages. The civilian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 9,000, and humanitarian conditions in the enclave have grown dire.

Blinken, who arrived in Jordan on Friday after earlier meeting Israeli leaders, said the U.S. was determined that there not be a second or third front in the conflict. He also appealed to Israel to take steps to protect civilians in Gaza.

The Arab ministers will hold a meeting ahead of their discussions with Blinken, the statement said.

King Abdullah told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a phone call on Friday the international community urgently needed to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to protect civilians, the royal court said.

The monarch said Israel's military campaign would not succeed and the only path to permanent peace was revived negotiations on an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

U.S.-brokered negotiations towards a "two-state solution" of Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territories have been frozen for almost a decade.

Jordan is a staunch U.S. ally and shares a border with the West Bank and Israel. Concerned about potential for a wider conflict, Amman has boosted border security and asked Washington to deploy Patriot air defence systems.

The monarch has said he fears the Gaza war could trigger a new displacement of Palestinians to Jordan, already home to a large population of Palestinians dispossessed from their land when Israel was created in 1948.