Jordanian media reported that King Abdullah of Jordan called on his kingdom's citizens "to balance between grief over the situation in the Gaza Strip" and "the progression of life," as he described it as a "national necessity." Abdullah said in a meeting with media officials in the country that "disrupting normal life and harming the national economy does not serve the interests of our Palestinian brothers, and they are the first to understand this." According to him, "This does not mean avoiding the pain and sadness over what is happening in Gaza - which needs a strong Jordan."