Earlier, King Abdullah II of Jordan announced the termination of a land lease agreement which allowed Israeli farmers to farm on a Jordanian enclave south of the Dead Sea, with the enclave expected to return to Jordanian control 25 years after the signing of the 1994 Jordan-israel peace treaty.
The Israeli military contradicted on Sunday Amman's announcement that a Jordanian enclave allowed to be used by Israeli farmers will be returned to Jordanian jurisdiction, saying the lease agreement has been extended until next April, although with new restrictions.
“In continuation of the deliberation on the diplomatic arrangements in the Tzofar enclave, security forces are protecting the area and working together with the community,” the israel Defence Forces said in a press statement cited by the Times of Israel, using the Hebrew name for the territory of Ghamr.
“The farmers' work in the enclave is continuing subject to agreements and coordination,” the IDF statement added.
The military did not elaborate on the terms and conditions of the lease agreement extension.
The Israeli foreign ministry later tweeted Tel Aviv's “regret” over Jordan's “decision to terminate the annexes” to the peace treaty, but added that “the Government of Jordan will continue to respect private ownership rights in Naharayim [Baqoura],” and that Jordan will “allow Israeli farmers to harvest the crops that were planted before the annex expired” in…
