Jordan withdraws its ambassador from Israel
Nov 01, 2023
Amman [Jordan], November 1 : Jordan has withdrawn its ambassador from Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
"Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs @AymanHsafadi decided to summon the Jordanian ambassador to Israel to Jordan immediately, and Al-Safadi directed the relevant department to inform the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to return its ambassador who had previously left the Kingdom, as an expression of the position of Jordan," as per Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates' official handle on 'X'.
The ministry said Jordan rejects and condemns the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip "which is killing innocent people, causing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, and carries dangerous possibilities for its expansion, which will threaten the security of the entire region and international security and peace."
Recently, the foreign ministries of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia condemned Israel's strikes in Jabaliya in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, in which Hamas, in an unverified claim, said some 50 Palestinians were killed, The Times of Israel reported.
The statement of the three nations came after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had killed the commander of Hamas's Central Jabaliya Battalion, Ibrahim Biari, in a strike on the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, CNN reported.
Egypt called the airstrikes "inhumane" and a "blatant violation of international law." It warned of the consequences of "indiscriminate attacks on civilians in and around hospitals, where they seek refuge." Furthermore, Egypt urged the international community to intervene to stop Israeli attacks and to provide humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza.
Jordan in the "strongest terms," condemned the Israeli attack. It condemned the ongoing escalation in the West Bank and settlers' violence against Palestinians, according to The Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia expressed its "complete rejection" of the Israeli Forces' repeated "targeting of sites crowded with civilians," according to The Times of Israel report.
The IDF said the strikes targeted Hamas operatives and infrastructure belonging to the terror group's Central Jabaliya Battalion, The Times of Israel reported. It said that the collapse of underground terror tunnels damaged some nearby buildings. According to IDF, "numerous" terrorists were killed, including a top Hamas commander.
In a statement, the IDF said, "A short while ago, IDF fighter jets, acting on ISA intelligence, killed Ibrahim Biari, the Commander of Hamas' Central Jabaliya Battalion. Biari was one of the leaders responsible for sending 'Nukbha' terrorist operatives to Israel to carry out the murderous terror attack on October 7th. Numerous Hamas terrorists were hit in the strike," according to CNN.
The IDF said Ibrahim Biari oversaw all military operations in the northern Gaza Strip since it started its ground operation. He was also involved in multiple attacks on Israel going back decades. The IDF said it had carried out a wide-scale strike on terrorists and terror infrastructure belonging to the Central Jabalya Battalion, according to CNN.
Taking to X, the IDF said, "Over the past day, IDF troops operated in a Hamas terrorist stronghold in Jabaliya, northern Gaza. The stronghold was used for training and execution of terrorism activities. During the ground activity, the troops eliminated approximately 50 terrorists, as well as destroyed entrances to terrorist tunnels and weapons."
Meanwhile, Israel on Wednesday again struck Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp, Al Jazeera reported.