AMMAN, Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan said on Saturday that the “bloodshed” in the Gaza Strip is the price being paid for the failure to achieve peace between Palestine and Israel.

In his speech at the Cairo Peace Summit, King Abdullah II said that the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel “did not begin two weeks ago, and will not stop if we continue down this blood-stained path.”

"The bloodshed we are witnessing today is the price of failure to achieve tangible progress towards a political horizon that achieves peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike," he said.

He said that Israeli leaders must realize that military solutions will not work.

"Anywhere else, the world would have condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure, and the deliberate deprivation of the population of food, water, electricity, and basic needs, and certainly the perpetrator would have been held accountable immediately,” he stated, adding that “this was the case recently in another conflict, but not in Gaza."

“Two weeks have passed since Israel imposed a complete siege on the Gaza Strip,” the Jordanian monarch said, adding: “International silence from most countries continues.”

The Cairo Peace Summit began with international, Arab and UN participation to discuss the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

At least 31 countries and 3 international organizations have confirmed their participation in the Cairo Peace Summit, according to the private Cairo News Channel.

The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment and blockade since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis, with no electricity, while water, food, fuel, and medical supplies are running out.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an "immediate humanitarian cease-fire” to ease the “epic human suffering."

At least 4,385 Palestinians, including 1,756 children and 1,000 women have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi