Jordan parliament accuses Israel of 'state terrorism

The Jordanian parliament Saturday accused Israel of "state terrorism" against the Palestinian people after its forces shot dead seven Gazans and wounded more than 140 others in the coastal strip.

"The Israeli enemy, sapping the rights of the Palestinians on their own lands... and over their holy places, is exercising state terrorism before the eyes of the whole world," parliament charged in a statement carried by state news agency Petra.

The legislators in Jordan, one of only two Arab countries along with Egypt to have a peace treaty with Israel, condemned "the crimes committed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza".

After several days of deadly clashes in the West Bank and Israel, violence spread Friday to the Gaza Strip, where seven Palestinians were killed and 145 wounded in border clashes with the army.

The Palestinian casualties were the result of "barbaric and racist" Israeli military actions that violated international and humanitarian laws, the MPs charged.

They accused the international community of "not lifting a finger to halt these racist and detestable policies that are pushing the region and world towards more violence and instability".

Jordan's Information Minister Mohammed Momani, for his part, warned that the Israeli actions could "destroy all peace efforts in the region".
Source: AFP