The United States expressed deep concern on Thursday that Jordanian medics were wounded in shelling near their field hospital in Gaza.

Jordan's foreign ministry said seven staff members at its field hospital in northern Gaza were wounded by Israeli shelling.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday called Jordan a critical ally and said its "essential role in the conflict must be protected."

"We are deeply concerned that Jordanian medical personnel in Gaza were wounded in an attack near their field hospital, and we are profoundly grateful to medical professionals providing critical care to Palestinians in Gaza," he said.

Representatives for the Israeli Defense Forces could not be immediately reached for comment. Sullivan did not say who was responsible for the shelling in his post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Israel's exposing the hospital and its staff to danger during its bombing of our Palestinian brothers is an unacceptable and condemnable crime and represents a clear violation of international law," Sufyan Al-Qudah, spokesman for Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement.

"The government is awaiting the results of the investigation initiated by the Armed Forces-Arab Army to take the necessary legal and political steps against this heinous crime," he added.