Jordan's king and Palestinian president warn against escalation in Gaza

Jordan's King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Thursday for steps to prevent a deterioration in the Gaza crisis and they condemned what they called Israel's "collective punishment" of Palestinians.

In a statement after a meeting in Amman, they also warned against a "rise in violence and its spread" as a humanitarian crisis worsens amid Israel's intense bombing campaign in Gaza after a devastating cross-border attack by Hamas.

Both leaders met ahead of talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who was expected to arrive later on Thursday from Israel and meet the king and Abbas to discuss ways to defuse the Gaza crisis, officials said.

In his first public remarks since a massive Hamas onslaught on southern Israeli communities early Saturday that spiralled into deadly war, Abbas rejected "practices related to killing civilians or abusing them on both sides", according to a statement.

Abdullah and Abbas also called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into Gaza to allow food and aid as NGOs and aid groups warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.

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According to the statement, Abbas stressed Palestinians "renounce violence and adhere to international legitimacy, peaceful popular resistance, and political action as a path to achieving our national goals".

Abbas also "warned of the danger of the only power plant in the Gaza Strip stopping working due to running out of fuel" and urged action to secure the supply of electricity and water as well as "opening urgent humanitarian corridors".

Israel announced a total siege on Gaza on Monday, home to 2.3 million people, blocking the entry of food, fuel and water into the coastal territory and shuttering all crossing points.

Jordan has sent a military plane with medical aid to the Egyptian city of Rafah in Sinai, Egypt, to try to get Israel to allow the cargo into the enclave through a single border crossing with Gaza.

The outpouring of anger against Israel also fuelled a large rally on Tuesday in downtown Amman. Security has been stepped up ahead of a large rally on Friday called by the Islamist movement, Jordan's main political opposition, officials said.