Amman, May 1 (IANS): King Abdullah II of Jordan has stressed the necessity of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

At the meeting, the king highlighted the need for urgent action to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and called for protecting innocent civilians, the state-run Petra news agency reported on Tuesday.

He emphasised the significance of consistently providing sustainable humanitarian, relief, and medical aid to the region through all possible means, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cautioning against any military action in Rafah city in southern Gaza, the king warned that the catastrophic effects of the Gaza conflict could extend to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the broader region.

Meanwhile, the king stressed the significance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, considering it the lifeline for around two million Palestinians in Gaza.

The king also called upon the US to play a role in finding a political horizon to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution, viewing the solution as the only way to ensure the security of Palestinians, Israelis, and the entire region.

On Tuesday, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Blinken discussed efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region and prevent any Israeli attack on Rafah.

They discussed the dangerous deterioration and escalation in the West Bank and the need to start implementing a comprehensive plan to end the Israeli occupation and achieve a just and comprehensive peace within the framework of the two-state solution, Petra reported.