President Biden cancels planned stop in Jordan after meeting with Arab leaders is called off

President Biden’s planned visit to Jordan, which was scheduled to take place after his visit to Israel, has been canceled. The decision to cancel the meetings with Arab leaders in Jordan was made mutually, according to a senior administration official. President Biden, however, is still continuing with his travel to Israel for scheduled meetings on Wednesday.

The cancellation of the Jordan meetings was confirmed by the White House as President Biden departed from Washington, D.C. for Israel. This cancellation comes less than 24 hours after the trip was initially announced.

The president had intended to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Amman, Jordan. However, in light of the days of mourning announced by President Abbas following a blast at a hospital in Gaza that resulted in casualties, President Biden has decided to postpone his travel to Jordan and the planned meetings.

The extent of the casualties from the hospital explosion in Gaza is not yet clear. A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces stated that Israel did not strike the hospital, with Prime Minister Netanyahu adding that their systems indicate the rockets were fired by terrorists in Gaza. Nonetheless, Hamas is blaming Israel for the attack.

In a statement released by a White House official, it was confirmed that President Biden had consulted with King Abdullah II of Jordan and taken into consideration President Abbas’ days of mourning announcement. The president expressed his deepest condolences for the innocent lives lost in the hospital explosion in Gaza and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded. He also expressed his commitment to consulting with these leaders in person as soon as possible and agreed to maintain regular and direct engagement with each of them in the coming days.

It is expected that President Biden’s decision to postpone the meetings in Jordan will not adversely affect the overall diplomatic relations between the United States and these Arab leaders. The president’s commitment to engaging with them and his condolences for the victims of the Gaza hospital explosion demonstrate his dedication to working towards regional stability and peace.

Kathryn Watson, a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.