AMMAN: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday said that Israel had turned “rogue” state with its “assassination” of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and needed to be stopped.
In a news conference, Safadi condemned the killing, asserting that it undermined ongoing talks for a ceasefire and a hostage release deal in Gaza.
Safadi criticized Israel for targeting Haniyeh, who was serving as a key negotiator in efforts to broker a truce and facilitate the release of hostages. “Yesterday, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh. He was the one who was negotiating the exchange deal. So how on earth is a country that wants to conclude a deal killing the main interlocutor in those negotiations?” Safadi said.
According to Safadi, the assassination, which took place in Tehran early Wednesday morning, signals a deliberate escalation by Israel. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sending missiles to kill Haniyeh in a violation of Iranian sovereignty.
“Netanyahu’s decision to assassinate Haniyeh undermines the US-backed talks and all the efforts made by Egypt, Qatar, and the US to bring about a ceasefire, release hostages, and secure prisoner releases,” Safadi stated.
Both Iran and Hamas have attributed Haniyeh’s death to an Israeli airstrike, though Israel has not yet commented on the allegations. Safadi’s remarks reflect growing frustration in Jordan and other regional nations over Israel’s recent actions, which they perceive as counterproductive to peace efforts.
The Jordanian Foreign Minister called for international intervention to address what he termed as Israel’s rogue behavior. “The United Nations Security Council must not allow a state that has turned rogue to impose more wars and more destruction on the region,” Safadi asserted.
