President Joe Biden's efforts to defuse tensions in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas were thwarted even before he left for the Middle East on October 17,
when Jordan canceled the President's planned summit with Arab leaders following a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.
The Amman conference was postponed when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled all scheduled talks in protest of the attacks, which the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza blamed on an Israeli airstrike.
The Israeli military denied any participation and blamed the incident on a misfired Palestinian rocket.
"This war and this aggression are pushing the region to the brink," Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told the state-run network al-Mamlaka TV.
He stated that Jordan would only hold the summit if all participants agreed on its aim, which he described as "stopping the war, respecting the humanity of the Palestinians, and delivering the aid they deserve."
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden left the White House on October 18 for a quick trip to Israel to express sympathy with the people of the country in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack.
"I am outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, as well as the tragic loss of life." I immediately spoke after hearing the news.