Jordan urges UN to stop ‘bloodshed' in Gaza, pressure Israel to open crossings for aid

Jordan Times

01-05-2025

By AFP - May 01,2025 - Last updated at May 01,2025
Caption: Palestinian children queue for a hot meal at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on April 30, 2025 (AFP photo)
AMMAN — Jordan on Wednesday called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to hold Israel accountable for its obligations under international law.
Speaking during a Security Council session, Jordan's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, urged the council to enforce Resolution 2735 and other relevant decisions that call for the opening of border crossings and the unimpeded entry of essential supplies—including food, medicine, fuel, and shelter materials—across all areas of Gaza.
Hmoud condemned Israel's actions as severe breaches of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and rulings issued by the International Court of Justice.
He stressed that Israel's role as an occupying force carries legal obligations that are being systematically ignored, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Reiterating Jordan's firm position, he called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, an end to the blockade, and the full implementation of a prisoner exchange deal facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
Hmoud also emphasized the urgent need to launch a reconstruction process for Gaza, based on the joint Egyptian-Palestinian plan. The proposal, he said, has been adopted by Arab and Islamic states and enjoys broad international support.
Addressing the situation in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Hmoud described rising violence and escalating Israeli policies as dangerous and destabilizing.
He condemned the ongoing targeting of Jerusalem's residents and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, including repeated incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque/ Al Haram Al Sharif by Israeli settlers and extremist government officials.
'These actions—home demolitions, forced displacement, land seizures—are designed to change the facts on the ground and alter Jerusalem's historical and legal status,' Hmoud said.
'They are clear violations of international law and must be firmly rejected.'
He reaffirmed Jordan's commitment to the Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem's Muslim and Christian holy sites and called on the international community to support the Palestinian people's resilience in the face of Israel's annexation and settlement policies.
Jordan also reiterated its demand for the Security Council to compel Israel to stop these violations, warning that continued inaction risks igniting a broader regional crisis.
Highlighting the critical role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), Hmoud denounced recent Israeli legislation targeting the agency's operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
He called for increased international support to ensure UNRWA can continue providing life-saving services to millions of refugees.
He also reaffirmed Jordan's position on the right of return and compensation for Palestinian refugees, as enshrined in UN resolutions.
'Peace is our strategic choice,' Hmoud concluded.
'But it can only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with a two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.