Jordan: Expulsion of Sheikh Jarrah families a ‘war crime’

Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said yesterday that cessation of Israeli violations and finding the required political means to support Palestinians and meet their legitimate rights is important to achieving peace, news agencies reported.

In a press conference held after a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Amman, Safadi said that the forced expulsion of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood is a war crime and should be prevented by the international community.

“Enforcing a siege on the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood would refuel tensions,” Safadi said, stressing the issue of Sheikh Jarrah should be addressed in accordance with the principle that the Israeli side has no right to forcefully displace Palestinians from their homes.

Israel’s violations against Al-Aqsa Mosque must stop, he continued, highlighting the kingdom’s efforts to stop provocations and maintain the historical and legal status quo and the Arab-Islamic-Christian identity of the holy city.

Meanwhile, Shoukry pointed out that he has discussed ways to preserve the rights of the Palestinian people with the Jordanian authorities.

Referring to the Israeli violations on Palestinians, Shoukry said: “This vicious circle of destruction cannot continue… There is no substitute for allocating East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state, and we are fully committed to that.”

Peace Now, a campaign group that documents the expulsions of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem, estimated that 200 Palestinian properties in strategic locations near the Old City of Jerusalem, housing several thousand residents, are at risk of expulsion to make way for illegal settlers.

READ: Jordan king says no alternative to two-state solution in Palestine