Israel reopening Jordan embassy after apologising for shooting incident

The Israeli Embassy in Jordan will reopen in the coming days after the two countries put a months-long diplomatic spat behind them, reported AP.

The embassy shut down in July after an Israeli guard, Ziv Moyal, shot dead two Jordanians, Mohammed Jawawdeh and Bashar Hamarneh, after being allegedly attacked.

Israel’s then-ambassador Einat Schlein along with the guard returned to Israel after the incident – the guard received a hero’s welcome at home, drawing the ire of Jordanians.

Israel has since apologised for the shooting, promising to compensate the victims’ families, Jordan’s foreign ministry said earlier in January.

“Israel attaches great importance to its strategic relations with Jordan and the two states will act to advance cooperation between them,” said the office of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on 18 January.

The incident marked the lowest point in Israeli-Jordanian relations since the two countries signed a peace agreement in 1994.