Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordan on Friday condemned the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip and the unjustified and indiscriminate use of force against civilians.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the deputy of Jordan's Permanent Representative to the UN said "Jordan denounces the Israeli continuous aggression on Gaza and the Palestinian people, particularly the ground invasion of the Strip last night".

He added that the Israeli aggression against the Strip killed more that 270 Palestinians, until now, and injured more than 1500. "UN reports indicated that more than 80 percent of the Palestinian victims were civilians, 30 percent of whom are children".

"More than 1600 Palestinian houses were destroyed, tens of thousands of Palestinians evacuated their homes in northern and central Gaza, 18 thousand people took refuge in UNRWA schools and more than half of the population of Gaza are without water supply," he added.

"Jordan urges Israel to immediately halt its military operations and withdraw its troops from the Strip," the deputy said, calling for a cease-fire and for stopping the targeting of civilians in support of the Egyptian cease-fire initiative.

He added that Jordan beefed up support for its field hospital in Gaza, sent new medical supplies and equipment to the hospital and received batches of wounded Palestinians for treatment in Jordan, urging the international community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the besieged Strip.

"Jordan is making extensive contacts with world and regional leaders to reach a comprehensive ceasefire," he said, stressing that the only solution to prevent the recurrence of such an Israeli aggression is to resume direct negotiations based on the two-state solution, international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Jordan has called earlier for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council following Israel's ground invasion of Gaza.

*Petra