US President Joe Biden will host King Abdullah II of Jordan “next week” at the White House, his spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre announced today.

It will be a “one-on-one meeting” for which an official report from the White House will be released after its completion, he added, without giving an exact date.

The visit comes as talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, which would be accompanied by the release of hostages held in Palestinian territory, have entered a critical phase.

Hamas must respond to the latest Israeli proposal, which the Americans consider “extremely generous” and are heavily invested in these talks.

But the Palestinian movement today accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to block those efforts, raising doubts about a ceasefire agreement coming soon.

Jordan, which maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and has a large Palestinian community on its soil, is particularly sensitive to tensions in the Middle East.

The head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, recently visited the kingdom as the first Jordanian convoy of humanitarian aid was leaving for the Gaza Strip, through a crossing recently opened by Israel.

In mid-April, Amman shot down Iranian drones launched against Israel. While working together with the United States, the kingdom wants to avoid being hurt by a potential conflict.