AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdallah has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put on trial an embassy security guard who shot dead two Jordanians.
He said the way the incident was handled would affect ties between the two countries.
In a statement, the Jordanian king said Netanyahu’s behavior toward the security guard, whom he embraced in a hero’s welcome on his return to Israel under diplomatic immunity, was “provocative on all fronts and enrages us, destabilizes security and fuels extremism.”
“We demand that the Israeli prime minister abides by his commitment and takes all measures to ensure the trial of the killer and not to handle this like a political show to achieve personal political gains,” he said.
In an incident testing already tense relations between the two neighbors, the guard shot dead a Jordanian teenager at Israel’s embassy in Amman on Sunday while a second Jordanian — the landlord of the house in the compound where the security guard lived — was also shot dead.
Jordanian police said on Monday that the security guard had fired on the teenager after the young man, who worked for a furniture firm and was delivering an order, got into a brawl and attacked him.
But they rejected Israel’s account that he had used a screwdriver to stab the guard in what Israeli officials described as a “terrorist attack.”
Jordan had wanted to question the guard, but Israel said he had diplomatic immunity and repatriated him.
King Abdallah vowed that the state would “do everything within its means” to get justice for the two slain Jordanians.
Jordan is one of two Arab states with which Israel has peace treaties. In what was a rare outburst against Israel, Abdullah also cited a previous incident in which a Jordanian judge was shot in March 2014 by an Israeli soldier while crossing a border crossing that outraged Jordanians.
No investigation was ever conducted.
“The way Israel handles the embassy case and the judges killing and other cases will have a direct impact on the nature of our relationship,” King Abdallah said.
Many Jordanians have criticized the authorities for handing over the security guard in what they said was an affront to national sovereignty. Lawmakers walked out of Parliament in protest at what they saw as inadequate response by the government.
Jordan’s king calls for Amman embassy shooter to face trial
Jordan’s king calls for Amman embassy shooter to face trial
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
