Jordan's King Urges Gaza Ceasefire

Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed for a full ceasefire to end the war in Gaza after talks with Joe Biden, striking a discordant note with the US president who is seeking a shorter six-week pause to allow Israel time to defeat Hamas.

Speaking at the White House with Abdullah by his side, Biden said civilians in the southern city of Rafah must be protected as Israel considers a ground incursion, while the Jordanian warned against any offensive at all.

Biden, 81, said that the United States was working to negotiate a pause in fighting for at least six weeks in the Gaza strip as part of a wider deal that would also involve the release of hostages.

"We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end," said the Jordanian monarch, who has repeatedly pushed for a full truce to end the conflict that started when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.

In his first face-to-face meeting with Biden since the attack, Abdullah said the world "cannot afford an Israeli attack" on Rafah.

"It is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe. We cannot stand by and let this continue."

The United States has consistently refused to call for a full ceasefire, saying that it backs Israel's drive to defeat Hamas, and calling for shorter pauses with hostage deals instead.

However, Biden has also started to take a harder line with key US ally Israel, saying last week that Israel's response in the Gaza Strip had been "over the top."

Flanked by US and Jordanian flags, Biden and the king had embraced earlier as they met on the front steps of the White House for their first face-to-face talks since the October 7 attacks.

Washington is the first stop of a tour by the Jordanian king that will also take in Canada, France and Germany, amid mounting international efforts for a deal to pause fighting in Gaza and free hostages held there by Hamas.