Too many people respond to civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip with their screeching occupation of university libraries. Similarly, too many governments prefer hyperbolic insults over work to boost humanitarian supplies into Gaza. Take Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who this week described Israel as a “genocidal state.”
Fortunately, a few nations prefer to focus on action over rhetoric. One such leading nation is Jordan. An exceptional U.S. ally and close Israeli security partner, the Hashemite Kingdom is again emphasizing its desire to alleviate innocent suffering. Since the start of Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas atrocities on its soil, Jordan has conducted numerous military-led operations to address humanitarian concerns in Gaza. These have included air drops of supplies and a number of medical evacuations.
Jordan conducted another medical evacuation on Thursday. Four child cancer patients and their family members were evacuated as part of the Jordanian Medical Corridor Initiative. This plan, agreed with the Trump administration, aims to see 2,000 patients treated in Jordan by its conclusion. Jordan says that 17 patients have already been treated and returned home to Gaza since the Initiative began in March.
Why the relatively slow pace of evacuations?
A Jordanian official told the Times of Israel that his country “wanted to evacuate all the children from Gaza by air, but Israeli authorities didn’t agree.” This has meant driving the patients through the Gaza-Israel checkpoints, then through Israel, then through Israel-West Bank checkpoints, then finally into Jordan. The newspaper notes that one problem is that Israel has refused to assure Jordanian authorities that it will readmit any Palestinians who leave Gaza for treatment in Jordan.
This assurance is important for Jordan amid its concern over dissuading any Israeli or U.S. understanding that it will host an exodus of Palestinian refugees. Jordan’s fear about this possibility was exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s pledge in February to relocate Palestinians out of Gaza. Jordan cannot absorb a vast number of Palestinian refugees for both political reasons related to its support for eventual Palestinian statehood, and because of the financial and humanitarian strains a mass relocation would entail.
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Still, Thursday’s evacuation does underline that Jordan wants to make progress on this most basic moral issue.
Seeking to boost the number of children being evacuated for treatment, the Trump administration should maintain pressure on Jordan to speed up the evacuation process and on Israel to commit to allowing any families that leave Gaza to return once treatment is concluded.