AMMAN: The Jordanian government lodged a protest with Israel on Sunday over fires that started in Israel on Saturday for the second time in three weeks and spread across the border to Jordanian territory damaging a number of citrus farms in the Jordan Valley, the official Petra news agency reported.
The protest was communicated by the Jordanian ambassador in Tel Aviv and by the Jordanian foreign ministry to the Israeli envoy in Amman who was also asked to give an explanation for what happened as well as guarantees that it will not happen in future, Petra said.
The blaze, which Jordanian officials said had damaged 140 dunums planted with crops and citrus trees, started as a result of high temperatures and strong winds that carried the flames from Israel into Jordan.
A joint Jordanian-Israeli panel committed the Israeli authorities in the past to alert Jordan in case such fires take place near the border to enable the Jordanian authorities to take the necessary precautionary measures, the official said.
“But the Israeli side failed this time to inform Jordan about the fires, which is an unacceptable behavior and requires certain assurances be given that it will not happen again,” he added.
Over the past three weeks, the Jordanian government has been under pressure from the Islamic-led opposition to raise the issue on the international level in order to put an end to the “Israeli arrogance” with which the Jewish state was lately dealing with Jordan.
The Hashemite Kingdom concluded a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 after an enmity that lasted for about a half century.
