LONDON
Jordan’s foreign minister accused Israel on Sunday of "losing its humanity” in its war against Gaza, stressing that a cease-fire is a must.
The world is “watching with tremendous shock at what Israel was bringing on Gazans," Ayman Safadi said during an interview with Sky News.
Asked what drove him to say that "Israel is committing war crimes" during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday, he said it is a "statement of facts."
Citing the death toll in Gaza, which includes thousands of women and children, he also touched on the destruction of civilian infrastructure and hospitals, saying these are "war crimes by international law."
"What we are trying to do is to get everybody to understand that this madness cannot continue and that this war has to stop because nobody is benefiting. On the contrary, everybody is losing," he noted.
In response to a question on why a cease-fire is important, Safadi said the "logic for a cease-fire speaks for itself."
"A cease-fire is important because it will stop the killing of innocents, it will stop the destruction of Gaza, it will stop the illegal, inhumane displacement of over 1.4 million people."
Disagreeing with the UK and US’s stance against a cease-fire, he said: "If you want to help Israel, by all means help. But you're not helping Israel by not speaking against this mad war that it is launching."
"If you want to help Israel, help it make peace," he underlined, adding: "Because peace is the only path to guarantee the security of Palestinians and Israelis."
He reiterated his call for a cease-fire, saying that every minute that goes by without a cease-fire costs human lives.
- 'Nuking Gaza' remark
Noting that Jordan has always made efforts to achieve peace, Safadi said the problem is that the Israeli government "has shown no interest in that."
He also mentioned Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu's remarks about dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, saying what he is calling for is to "wipe Gaza from the face of this Earth and kill 2.4 million people."
Earlier Sunday, Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, said dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip is “an option,” according to The Times of Israel.
He also said the Palestinian population “can go to Ireland or deserts. The monsters in Gaza should find a solution by themselves.”
Later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended him from government meetings indefinitely, according to the premier’s office.
"This is reflective of the extremist, racist, radical elements that are in the driver seat of Israeli decision-making," said Safadi.
He said this should explain why people have lost faith in peace and "why we continue to be in conditions that are conducive for more violence and more war."
- ‘Not an ally of Israel'
Asked about the level of ties between Israel and Jordan "as allies," Safadi said Jordan is "not an ally of Israel."
"We are a country that made peace with Israel in 1994 within the context of moving towards a comprehensive peace that will address the Palestinian issue as the core source of the conflict in the region," he said.
He said this war will only create conditions that would be conducive to an environment in which no hope and no peace will grow.
"So our message is direct and simple: Stop this war. Stop the killing of innocents. This war is not self-defense."
Safadi highlighted that the best self-defense for Israel is "to stop this madness” and work for peace.
He added that "it is no longer acceptable to hide the failure of the international community," for not to take a moral stance in the face of what is happening in Gaza.
Last week, the Israeli army expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has faced relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip has risen to 9,770, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave announced Sunday.
“The death toll as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 is 9,770, including 4,800 children and 2,550 women,” the ministry said in a statement.
Nearly 1,540 Israelis have been killed.
