President discusses humanitarian aid corridor with Jordan, US (update 1)

President Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday spoke with King Abdallah II of Jordan over the developments in the Middle East, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said, and later with US top diplomat Antony Blinken, it emerged, after he made an unannounced stop in Larnaca.

In an announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Letymbiotis said that the two discussed the latest development in the Middle East and the creation of humanitarian aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza.

Both leaders also commented on the excellent relations between the two countries, which could contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis in the area, Letymbiotis said.

Christodoulides and King Abdallah II also discussed the relation of Jordan with the EU, and how best to strengthen them.

Speaking at an event in Korakou, Nicosia, Christodoulides also said he would be heading to Larnaca to participate in a meeting to discuss the initiative Cyprus has taken to deal with the issue in the Middle East.

It emerged later, according to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), that Christodoulides will be meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Larnaca.

In an announcement on X, formerly Twitter, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the crisis in the Middle East and the initiative of Cyprus to create a maritime corridor of sustained flow of humanitarian aid from Cyprus to civilians in Gaza, were the main topics discussed Blinken and Christodoulides.

The visit was not disclosed publicly. Blinken, who was en route to Turkey after meetings in Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, landed in Larnaca airport in the afternoon.

Blinken had earlier been on an unannounced visit to the West Bank, where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“We demand that you stop them from committing these crimes immediately,” Abbas told Blinken, demanding an “immediate ceasefire” from Israel.

“There are no words to describe the war of genocide and destruction to which our Palestinian people are being subjected in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli war machine, without regard to the rules of international law,” Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Abbas as telling Blinken.

Foreign ministers from Qatar, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates met Blinken in Amman on Saturday and also pushed for Washington to convince Israel to agree to a ceasefire.

But Blinken has dismissed the idea, saying it would only benefit Hamas, allowing it to regroup and attack again. Instead, the United States are pushing for localised pauses in fighting to allow in humanitarian aid and for people to leave the densely populated Gaza Strip.