Amman, Feb 21 (Petra) – Jordan on Saturday condemned remarks by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in which he said "it would be fine if Israel took the entire Middle East in addition to the West Bank." Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs official spokesman Fouad Majali dismissed the remarks as "absurd and provocative" and are a violation of diplomatic norms, an infringement on the sovereignty of regional countries and a blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter.

The statements contradict the declared position of US President Donald Trump that opposes the annexation of the occupied West Bank, he added.

Majali reiterated that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip are occupied Palestinian territory under international law, and that ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on all of the occupied Palestinian territory, based on the two-state solution and in accordance with international law, is the only avenue to achieving a just and comprehensive peace.

He stressed the importance of concerted efforts to stabilize Gaza and implement the US president's plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, instead of issuing irresponsible, escalatory statements that have no legal value or impact.

//Petra//SS