Amman, Oct. 8 (Petra) -- His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal said achieving a just peace in the region remains hindered by the absence of an Israeli government willing to accept it, stressing that the fundamental problem lies in managing the conflict rather than resolving it. He also emphasized that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are occupied territories, not disputed territories.

Prince El Hassan made the remarks in an interview with journalist Yalda Hakim, broadcast Wednesday evening on Britain's Sky News channel as part of The World with Yalda Hakim program.

The Prince said Jordan has pursued a peace based on justice for more than three decades, emphasizing that the obstacle has not been the absence of a partner seeking peace, but rather the lack of an Israeli government prepared to accept it.

He criticized the Israeli government's response to criticism, arguing that it seeks to divert attention and undermine the credibility of its critics instead of changing its policies.

Addressing the current state of diplomatic relations between Jordan and Israel, Prince Hassan noted that diplomatic ties remain in place, although meaningful communication and exchanges of ideas between the two sides have become almost nonexistent, apart from contacts conducted through third parties.

He stressed that the question of Jerusalem remains unresolved and reiterated that the West Bank and Gaza Strip are occupied territories with clear sovereign rights, rather than disputed territories.

Prince El Hassan noted that European and other Western countries have begun adopting clearer positions on Israeli settlement activity, describing it as a central issue that cannot be ignored at this stage, particularly amid the widespread destruction in Gaza.

He also referred to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3236 of 1974, which reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the rights to self-determination, national independence, sovereignty and return.

Prince El Hassan rejected Israeli accusations that Jordan had deprived Palestinians of their rights, stressing that the Kingdom does not accept stripping individuals of their nationality or treating them as second-class citizens.

Turning to regional developments, he said Jordan continues to face the repercussions of regional crises because of its geographical location, underscoring the importance of dialogue, even with adversaries, as a means of achieving stability. He recalled that this approach had formed the basis for reaching the peace treaty.

Prince El Hassan noted that missiles and drones entering Jordanian airspace amid tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel represent more than a security challenge, as they violate state sovereignty and demonstrate Jordan's exposure to the consequences of conflicts it did not initiate.

He called for restoring the human dimension to approaches addressing the region's challenges, noting that the Levant and its wider surroundings are home to hundreds of millions of people who must not be reduced to statistics or viewed solely through the lens of their region's natural resources.

Prince El Hassan concluded by stressing that Jordan does not want to become a battleground for conflicts taking place elsewhere, calling for respect for state sovereignty and efforts to address the root causes of conflicts rather than merely managing them.

//Petra// AJ