Jordan Annuls 2 Peace Treaty Annexes with Israel

King Abdullah II holds meeting with political figures at Al Husseiniya Palace Sunday/Petra news agency
King Abdullah II holds meeting with political figures at Al Husseiniya Palace Sunday/Petra news agency
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Jordan Annuls 2 Peace Treaty Annexes with Israel

King Abdullah II holds meeting with political figures at Al Husseiniya Palace Sunday/Petra news agency
King Abdullah II holds meeting with political figures at Al Husseiniya Palace Sunday/Petra news agency

Jordan’s King Abdullah II decided on Sunday to terminate the 1994 Peace Treaty annexes on Baqura and Al Ghamr, which had allowed Israel to use the two territories.

“Baqura and Ghamr areas have always been our top priority, and our decision is to end Article 2 of Annexs I (b) of the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, emanating from our keenness to take whatever is necessary for Jordan and the Jordanians,” the King wrote on his Twitter account.

Accordingly, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry handed over to the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Sunday two memos informing the government of the Kingdom's decision to cancel annexes of Baqura and Ghamr areas from the peace treaty.

Later, during a meeting with political figures at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah said Israel was informed of Jordan’s decision, Petra news agency reported.

“We informed Israel of terminating Article 2 of Annex I (b) of the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty on Baqura and Ghamr areas,” the King said.

He said Baqura and Al Ghamr are Jordanian territories. “They will remain as such, and we exercise full sovereignty over our territories," King Abdullah was quoted as saying.

The King noted that the issue, which has been widely debated, has been a top priority for a long time.

"Our priorities amidst current difficult regional conditions are to protect our interests and exert all possible efforts in the interest of Jordan and Jordanians," he affirmed.

The meeting’s attendees commended the key decision to terminate the Peace Treaty annexes, describing it as a national measure that serves higher Jordanian interests.

The political figures spoke about a number of domestic issues, including economic conditions, political reform, and the rule of law, stressing the importance of the King’s discussion papers in this regard.



Israel Says It Captured Weapons from Iran Being Smuggled to West Bank

An Israeli soldier holds a weapon during an Israeli raid, in Al-Faraa camp near Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli soldier holds a weapon during an Israeli raid, in Al-Faraa camp near Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
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Israel Says It Captured Weapons from Iran Being Smuggled to West Bank

An Israeli soldier holds a weapon during an Israeli raid, in Al-Faraa camp near Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli soldier holds a weapon during an Israeli raid, in Al-Faraa camp near Tubas, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Israeli authorities say they seized a large cache of weapons originating in Iran and bound for Palestinian fighters in the West Bank.

A joint statement from the military and Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency on Wednesday said the cache included rockets, explosives, mortar launchers, sniper rifles and other weapons. They released photos purporting to show the weapons.

The statement did not say where the seizure took place, and the military did not respond to a request for comment.

The statement identified two units of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, one purportedly based in Syria, that it said were responsible for the smuggling, and named their commanders. It did not provide further evidence of Iran’s involvement.

Israel has carried out near-daily military raids in the occupied West Bank in recent years, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks.

The violence spiked after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Health Ministry says nearly 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since then. There has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state.