Jordan Wants Israel to Return Lands Leased under 1994 Peace Deal

King Abdullah II announced Sunday that Jordan has notified Israel that it wants to reclaim two small plots of territory leased under their 1994 peace deal.

"We have informed Israel (that we are putting) an end to the application of the peace treaty annexes regarding Baqura and Ghumar," said the king, quoted by official news agency Petra. 

The land was leased for a 25-year renewable period under annexes of the 1994 accord that lay down a one-year notice period, with Jordan retaining sovereignty.

"Israel was informed today of the Jordanian decision," the monarch said, stressing that "Baqura and Ghumar are Jordanian land and will remain Jordanian."

"Baqura and Ghumar have always been at the top of our priorities, and we have decided to put an end to the application of the peace treaty annexes regarding Baqura and Ghumar," the king said. 

Under the treaty signed by the two countries on October 26, 1994, Israel has the right to use the land for a 25-year period.

The agreement on Baqura and Ghumar is automatically renewable unless either side gives a year's notice to terminate the deal, "in which case, at the request of either party, consultations shall be entered into."

Baqura is a border area of six square kilometers (2.4 sq miles) in Jordan's northern Irbid province, while Ghumar covers four square kilometers in the southern Aqaba province.