AMMAN, Jordan

Jordan's foreign minister on Saturday began an official visit to Qatar's capital to discuss potential routes to ending Israel's war on the Gaza Strip.

“Today (Saturday), the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi begins a working visit to Doha,” the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said.

During his visit, Safadi will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, within “the framework of the ongoing coordination and consultation process to intensify targeted efforts to stop the raging war on Gaza.”

No details were provided on the duration of Safadi’s visit to the Qatari capital.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, killing at least 20,057 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 53,320 others, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins with half of the coastal territory's housing stock damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely-populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water.

Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack, while more than 130 hostages remain in captivity.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi