LONDON – In an exclusive interview with BBC Panorama aired on Monday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II issued a stark warning that no country would accept a role in “enforcing” peace in Gaza if deployed under US President Donald Trump’s proposed ceasefire plan. The monarch emphasized the critical distinction between peacekeeping and peace enforcement, underscoring the reluctance of Arab states and international partners to become entangled in coercive military operations within the war-torn territory.
“What is the mandate of security forces inside of Gaza? And we hope that it is peacekeeping, because if it’s peace enforcing, nobody will want to touch that,” King Abdullah told BBC Panorama. He elaborated that peacekeeping involves supporting local Palestinian police forces, a role Jordan and Egypt are prepared to undertake through training programs. “Peacekeeping is that you’re sitting there supporting the local police force, the Palestinians, which Jordan and Egypt are willing to train in large numbers, but that takes time. If we’re running around Gaza on patrol with weapons, that’s not a situation that any country would like to get involved in,” he said.
The king’s remarks reflect broader concerns among the United States and its allies about the risks of being drawn into the ongoing conflict between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel. According to the United Nations, peacekeeping operations require the consent of the conflicting parties and permit the use of force only in self-defense or to protect the mission’s mandate. In contrast, peace enforcement involves coercive measures, including the potential use of military force to impose compliance, a scenario that King Abdullah warned would deter participation.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan, details of which have circulated in diplomatic circles, envisions Arab states and international partners committing stabilization forces to “train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces in Gaza.” The plan explicitly calls for consultation with Jordan and Egypt, citing their extensive experience in security and governance issues. A central condition of the proposal is that Hamas must disarm and relinquish political control of the Gaza Strip, paving the way for a restructured Palestinian authority to assume governance responsibilities.
King Abdullah was unequivocal in ruling out Jordanian troop deployments to Gaza, citing his country’s proximity to the conflict both geographically and demographically. “Jordan would not send forces into Gaza because we are too close politically to the situation,” he stated. Jordan hosts the largest population of Palestinian descent in the region, with more than half of its citizens tracing their roots to Palestine. Over the decades, the kingdom has absorbed 2.3 million Palestinian refugees displaced by successive wars with Israel, a figure that underscores the sensitivity of any Jordanian involvement in Gaza’s security landscape.
The interview also touched on the feasibility of Hamas complying with the plan’s demand to cede political power. When pressed on whether he trusted the group to relinquish its authority, King Abdullah deferred to the assessments of regional mediators. “I don’t know them, but those that are working extremely close to them—Qatar and Egypt—feel very, very optimistic that they will abide by that,” he said. The monarch framed the Gaza impasse within a broader regional context, warning that failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have dire consequences. “If we don’t solve this problem, if we don’t find a future for Israelis and Palestinians and a relationship between the Arab and Muslim world and Israel, we’re doomed,” he declared.
King Abdullah’s humanitarian engagement with Gaza has been a visible aspect of Jordan’s response to the crisis. The monarch has personally overseen aid deliveries, conducting three aerial missions to parachute supplies into the territory. Describing one such flight, he recounted the visceral impact of witnessing the destruction from the air. “Looking over the back ramp was just shocking,” he said. “The devastation of that part of Gaza was just a shock to me. I’ve seen it myself, and how we, as the international community, are allowing this to happen is mind-boggling.”
In the same BBC Panorama program, Queen Rania of Jordan, who is of Palestinian descent, delivered an emotional critique of the international community’s inaction. “You know what it’s like to be a parent over the last two years? To watch your children suffering, starving, shaking in terror, and to be powerless to do anything about it, and to know that the whole world is watching and not to do anything about it,” she said. “That nightmare, it’s the nightmare of any parent, but that nightmare has been the daily reality for Palestinians for the last two years.”
Queen Rania acknowledged the deep-seated animosity between Palestinians and Israelis but rejected cynicism about the prospects for peace. “I truly believe that Palestinians and Israelis can exist side by side,” she asserted. “In the current atmosphere, there’s too much animosity, too much anger and grief and hatred and cynicism between the two peoples to actually forge a peace on their own. I’m not being naïve here. But I think with the push of the international community, that is the only way.” She described hope not as naïveté but as “a form of defiance” in the face of overwhelming despair.
The royal couple’s comments come at a pivotal moment in the Gaza conflict, now in its third year since the escalation following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign. The United Nations estimates that over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed, with vast swathes of Gaza reduced to rubble. Reconstruction costs are projected to exceed $50 billion, and the humanitarian crisis remains acute, with famine warnings issued by multiple aid agencies.
Trump’s peace initiative, while still in the proposal stage, has generated cautious interest among Arab capitals wary of entanglement but eager to see an end to the bloodshed. The plan’s reliance on Arab states for security roles has raised questions about political will and logistical capacity. Egypt, like Jordan, has historically mediated between Israel and Hamas and maintains a peace treaty with Israel dating back to 1979. However, Cairo has also firmly opposed any scenario that would involve Egyptian forces policing Gaza, citing domestic political sensitivities and the risk of escalating tensions along its border.
The Biden administration, in its final months, had pursued a ceasefire framework that included a phased Israeli withdrawal and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Trump’s team has signaled a more muscular approach, emphasizing rapid disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of international forces to prevent the group’s rearmament. Diplomatic sources indicate that the plan envisions a multinational force potentially including contributions from moderate Arab states, European nations, and possibly NATO members, though no firm commitments have been secured.
King Abdullah’s intervention underscores the delicate balancing act facing Jordan. The kingdom has maintained a peace treaty with Israel since 1994 but faces domestic pressure from a population deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Protests in Amman have periodically flared over Gaza, and the government has walked a tightrope between supporting humanitarian relief and avoiding actions that could inflame public sentiment.
The monarch’s emphasis on training Palestinian security forces rather than direct intervention aligns with Jordan’s long-standing policy of empowering Palestinian self-governance while avoiding military overreach. Jordan has trained thousands of Palestinian Authority security personnel in the past, a model that could be expanded under a postwar arrangement. However, the collapse of governance structures in Gaza and the decimation of local police forces present formidable challenges to any reconstitution effort.
Queen Rania’s remarks, meanwhile, highlight the human dimension of the crisis. Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents who fled the 1967 war, she has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights throughout her public life. Her description of parental anguish resonated with audiences worldwide, amplifying calls for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid access.
As the international community grapples with the Gaza impasse, King Abdullah’s warning serves as a reality check for policymakers in Washington and beyond. The distinction between peacekeeping and peace enforcement is not merely semantic; it determines whether nations will commit troops to a volatile environment where the risk of casualties and mission creep looms large. Without a clear, consensual mandate and robust Palestinian buy-in, the prospect of a sustainable security framework remains elusive.
The BBC Panorama interview, filmed in Amman and aired to a global audience, has reignited debate over the viability of Trump’s plan. Analysts note that while the proposal addresses Hamas’s role head-on, it sidesteps thorny issues such as Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the status of Jerusalem, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees—core components of any comprehensive peace agreement.
For now, Jordan’s position is clear: support for Palestinian capacity-building, yes; boots on the ground in a coercive role, no. As King Abdullah surveys the devastation from 30,000 feet and Queen Rania channels the grief of a people under siege, the royal couple’s message to the world is unequivocal: the path to peace in Gaza must be paved with consent, not compulsion, and anchored in a vision that secures dignity and security for both Palestinians and Israelis.
