Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced the Kingdom’s Ambassador to Israel, Ghassan Al Majali, was recalled to Amman for consultations “following Israel’s failure to respond to our requests to release from prison two Jordanian civilians, Hiba al-Labadi and Abed Rahman Marei, and the continuation of their illegal and immoral imprisonment,” according to the Hebrew-language Ynet site.
Safadi said his country places full responsibility on Israel for the well-being of its citizens. “Putting our citizens’ lives in danger is a step worthy of all condemnation,” he said.
Safadi added this was a first step taken against the arrest of the pair, and that Jordan would take “all legal and diplomatic measures to ensure their safe return home.”
According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) al-Labadi was arrested last August at the Allenby Crossing and placed under administrative detention due to her suspected involvement in “serious security crimes.”
Rahman Marei was also arrested in August at the Allenby Crossing, and has been held since under administrative detention.
Al-Labadi’s attorney, Raslan Mahajne, told The Associated Press that his client has been on a hunger strike for 37 days, and that her condition is “poor.”
Rahman Marei’s appeal to an Israeli military court was rejected, according to Mahajne. The court is expected to rule on his own client’s appeal in the coming days.
Jordanian media reports that the family of one of the detainees denies Al-Labadi has any connection to Hezbollah.
A number of Jordanian citizens have been involved in terror attacks in Israel over the past few years.