Israel halts renewal of Jordan water deal: Report

Israel has halted the renewal of a water deal with Jordan that provides the kingdom with additional supplies at reduced prices, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported Monday.

The broadcaster said the deal, linked to key provisions of the 1994 Wadi Araba peace treaty, has not been renewed, without giving a reason.

Citing unnamed Israeli sources, KAN said there are currently no expectations that the agreement will be signed, adding the issue has angered Jordan and could prompt a response from Amman.

KAN also quoted an unnamed Jordanian official as saying that “the water issue is extremely important for us, and it is also part of the peace agreement.”

The broadcaster said the remarks reflected Jordanian frustration over Israel turning the water issue into a bargaining tool after it had largely remained insulated from political disputes for years.

In February, Jordan’s Al-Mamlaka TV reported that the government had prepared contingency measures aimed at securing the kingdom’s water needs regardless of political pressure or regional developments.

Relations between Jordan and Israel have sharply deteriorated since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, particularly over Israeli plans aimed at displacing Palestinians from the enclave, which Amman has repeatedly rejected.

In July 2021, Jordan and Israel signed an agreement under which Israel agreed to supply the kingdom with an additional 50 million cubic meters of water annually. The supplemental volume was provided on top of the original 50 million cubic meter quota mandated by the historic 1994 Wadi Araba peace treaty.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref