AMMAN: Protesters gathered near the Israeli Embassy in the Jordanian capital Amman on Friday, angry that an Israeli embassy guard who shot dead two Jordanians had returned to Israel and been granted diplomatic immunity.
Friday’s protest was another sign of growing tensions between the two countries.
A Reuters witness said around 200 people had assembled peacefully in the vicinity of the embassy. Scores chanted, “Death to Israel,” and called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and the scrapping of an unpopular peace treaty with Israel.
On Sunday, an embassy guard shot dead Jordanian teenager Mohammad Jawawdah, as well as the guard’s landlord, at the house in which the guard lived. Israel claimed that the guard had been defending himself after Jawawdah assaulted him with a screwdriver.
Jordan’s King Abdallah angrily demanded on Thursday that Israel put the guard on trial. He also paid a visit to the family of the slain teenager to offer his condolences.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the guard a hero’s welcome after Israel brought him home under diplomatic immunity.
King Abdallah, addressing a meeting of top Jordanian government and security officials, said that Israel’s handling of the embassy shooting, among other issues, “will have a direct impact on the nature of our relations.”
He also said Netanyahu should take legal action against the guard, instead of “dealing with this crime ... to achieve personal political gains.”
“Such unacceptable and provocative behavior at all levels infuriates all of us, leads to insecurity, and fuels extremism in the region,” the king warned.
Jordanian protesters call for end to peace treaty with Israel
Jordanian protesters call for end to peace treaty with Israel
Syrian government announces ceasefire in Aleppo
- Syrian government forces have been fighting the Kurdish-led SDF force in Aleppo, where at least 21 people have been killed in several days of clashes
DAMASCUS: Damascus: Syria’s defense ministry announced a ceasefire in several neighborhoods of Aleppo on Friday after days of deadly clashes with Kurdish fighters.
“To prevent any slide toward a new military escalation within residential neighborhoods, the Ministry of Defense announces ... a ceasefire in the vicinity of the Sheikh Maqsoud, Alashrafieh, and Bani Zeid neighborhoods of Aleppo, effective from 3:00 am,” the ministry wrote in a statement.
Syrian government forces have been fighting the Kurdish-led SDF force in Aleppo, where at least 21 people have been killed in several days of clashes.
Both sides have traded blame over who started the clashes on Tuesday, which comes as implementation stalls on a deal to merge the Kurds’ administration and military into the government.
The worst violence in Aleppo since Syria’s Islamist authorities took power has also highlighted regional tensions between Damascus ally Turkiye and Israel, which condemned what it described as attacks against the Kurds.
