US President Joe Biden will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington on Monday for talks on the Israel-Hamas war, the White House said.
The two will “discuss the ongoing situation in Gaza and efforts to produce an enduring end to the crisis,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently on a Mideast tour where he has visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and secure a hostage deal.
Blinken said on Wednesday in Israel that there was hope for success in a hostage deal, but further progress was necessary.
Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after mediation talks in Qatar. The deal would reportedly involve Israel halting military operations in Gaza and releasing Palestinian prisoners in exchange for liberating hostages.
Hamas captured about 250 hostages after an attack on October 7, when the group killed about 1,160 people, the majority civilians.
More than 100 hostages were released in a week-long truce in November, and Israel says 132 hostages remain, including 29 who are deceased.
Blinken met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday, a day after he held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.
Blinken’s visit to Egypt followed his talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, followed by visits to Qatar and Israel in an effort to bring support for a truce deal negotiated in Paris.
