Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs, Ayman Safadi, took part in the 19th edition of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue 2023 on Saturday in Bahrain.
“The Israeli attack on Gaza constitutes brutal aggression, not self-defense, and if another country in the world had done part of what Israel did, sanctions would have been imposed on it from every corner of the world now,” Safadi said in a keynote speech at the dialogue.
“Nothing can justify this brutality,” Safadi emphasized.
“Israel is holding 2.3 million Palestinians hostage,” he said. 1.65 million Palestinians were displaced in Gaza, and in percentage terms, that is, about 275 million Americans. he stated.
He continued, “Israel is telling the Palestinians: We will not kill you in the north, but rather we will kill you in the south.”
“This conflict will continue to haunt the region unless its root cause, which is the occupation, is eliminated.”
“At this point, who is discussi
ng any regional projects? Who is discussing integration? It’s all about the war,” Safadi wondered.
“Arab forces will not be sent to Gaza,” Safadi emphasized, adding that he discussed this with his Arab counterparts.
He stated, “Israel places itself above the law, and preventing the entry of food, medicine, and fuel is a war crime.”
“The first priority at this point is to put an immediate stop to the war, aggression, and killing of civilians, women, and children. Next, we need to find a way to permanently end the conflict through the two-state solution. Violence will keep happening if it doesn’t,” Safadi further added.
Safadi forewarned of the conflict’s escalation. He made it clear that “there is an occupation that has not ended and no end appears on the horizon, and we will not consider any option that looks at Gaza alone.”
Safadi went on to say, “Yes to the release of the hostages, but no to linking the humanitarian truce to the release of the hostages.”
“For years, we have been warning about the lack
of a political horizon,” he said. We have always worked for peace for all.” He reiterated Jordan’s unwavering commitment to preventing the displacement of Palestinians and will stop at nothing to achieve this goal.
Source: Jordan News Agency