Ayman Safadi addresses joint news conference with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara
Deterrent measures need to be taken if Israel is disregarding the global community and undermining international legitimacy, Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Safadi said the only way to deter Israel, which continues air and ground attacks into Lebanon, while also conducting strikes in Gaza, is to impose sanctions on Israel and stop supplying it with weapons.
He said using starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime, adding that Israel has not only destroyed schools, hospitals, mosques and churches, but has also destroyed the entire infrastructure, turning Gaza into an uninhabitable land.
Safadi said another war waged by Israel against the Palestinian people was in the West Bank through killing, targeting, settlement and destruction.
He lamented that the Security Council was not playing its role in maintaining security and peace.
Emphasizing that protecting the holy sites in Jerusalem is a red line for his country, he warned: “We are cautioning Israel about the consequences of its actions. These violations will push the region into a more dangerous situation. If the situation in Jerusalem and the West Bank escalates, the region will face serious tensions."
“Israel's attacks and the hunger crisis continue. We are warning about what is happening in northern Gaza, where no aid truck has entered since Sept. 30. Bombings and killings persist, and all indications point to Israel's intention to evacuate northern Gaza," he added.
Safadi said security in Israel can only be achieved if Palestinians are allowed to ensure their own security.
While Israel may have achieved some military gains, it has lost the strategic, legal, and political battles, he argued.
- 'Israel is blocking peace'
Reiterating that the Israeli government is an obstacle to peace and has failed to fulfill its obligations under international agreements, he said: "If the entire world wants a two-state solution and Israel does not, then Israel is the one blocking peace."
He expressed Jordan's commitment to working in full coordination with Türkiye on both bilateral relations and within the framework of the Gaza Contact Group, noting that their goals are aligned.
The foreign minister reaffirmed Jordan's efforts to block Israel's actions in Jerusalem, saying: “Jerusalem and its holy sites are our red line. Tampering with them is playing with fire."
Opposing the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt, Safadi warned that Jordan would not allow such a scenario.
The Jordanian diplomat also attended the Conference on the Future of Palestine organized by Türkiye.
