King Abdullah: Jordan imposing ‘full sovereignty on every inch’ of border lands

AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s king announces “full sovereignty” over two pieces of land leased by Israel, ending a 25-year arrangement spelled out in the countries’ landmark peace agreement.

King Abdullah II says in a speech to the government’s new Cabinet on Sunday that Jordan would end the “annex of the two areas, Ghumar and Al-Baqoura, in the peace treaty and impose our full sovereignty on every inch of them.”

Israel, which has controlled the lands for over 70 years, had been permitted to lease the areas, called Naharayim and Tzofar in Hebrew, under the 1994 peace agreement. One of the areas, a popular visitors’ site in northern Israel, is known as the “Isle of Peace.”

But with relations cool, Abdullah announced last October that he would end the not renew the lease when it expired today.

— with AP

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