Jordan Ends Ambassador's Tenure in Israel After Over a Year of Diplomatic Freeze

Jordan has officially ended the tenure of its ambassador to Israel, Rasaan Al-Majali, who will conclude his service on July 15 and return to the Foreign Ministry in Amman. This decision follows a royal decree approved by the Jordanian government on Thursday. Al-Majali was appointed ambassador to Israel in 2018 but was recalled to Jordan in November 2023 in protest against Israel's military actions in Gaza and the incident at Al-Maamouni Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Initially, the hospital attack was attributed to Israel, but it was later confirmed that a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad caused the damage. Since his recall, Al-Majali has not returned to Israel.

With the end of Al-Majali's term, Jordan will officially have no ambassador in Israel, although it has effectively lacked an active ambassador there since November 2023. Similarly, Israel's ambassador to Jordan, Rogel Rahman, who presented his credentials before the October 7 massacre, has been in Israel since November 2023. Jordan's decision to recall its ambassador and not allow the Israeli ambassador to return to Amman reflects the ongoing diplomatic strain between the two countries.