Jordan renews support for Gaza, condemnation of Israeli assault

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Tuesday discussed with the Japanese Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi bilateral ties and the latest regional developments.

During the meeting, the two sides stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with Judeh renewing Jordan’s condemnation of Israeli aggression on civilians in the Gaza Strip and warning against the consequences of the Israeli assault on the region’s security.

Judeh briefed the visiting top diplomat on the efforts exerted by His Majesty King Abdullah and his contacts with world leaders to reach at a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating Jordan’s support to Egypt in its efforts to end the violence.

He also stressed that peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state are the only way to solve the decades-long conflict.

For his part, Kishi briefed Judeh on the outcome of his recent meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, voicing Japan’s support for Egypt’s ceasefire initiative.

Parliament

Meanwhile, the House issued after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday a statement in which it “valued the resistance” of the Palestinians in Gaza against the Israeli military operations.

The Lower House condemned the aggression, and called on the international community to intervene and impose an immediate ceasefire to prevent further bloodshed among civilians in Gaza.

The lawmakers seemed to have failed in heeding a suggestion to establish a “fund to support Gaza and the resistance” to be funded by the MPs.

The MPs urged the government to recall the Jordanian ambassador from Tel Aviv for consultation, and sending a letter, in strong language, to the Israeli government via its ambassador in Amman to express Jordan’s condemnation of the attack and the killing of innocent people.

Several MPs also called on Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing point with Gaza to evacuate wounded citizens from Gaza and provide them with necessary medical care.

The meeting came after MPs called for it on Sunday, but only 40 out of the 150 MPs attended.

Relief aid

Also on Tuesday, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), in cooperation with the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF), dispatched a nine-truck convoy of humanitarian assistance and staples to the Gaza Strip. 

The relief aid consignment, dispatched upon King Abdullah’s directives, is to be distributed to different charity entities in the strip, according to Barakat Aqeil, head of the Jordan hospital contingent in Gaza. 

In coordination with the JAF, the JHCO is working to dispatch more relief-aid convoys to Gaza.