The Jordanian government has issued a court order forbidding the departure from the country of an Israeli embassy official after he had killed in self-defense one Jordanian carpenter and injured another on Sunday in his apartment in the embassy compound.
The Israeli, a security man, enjoys diplomatic immunity.
The incident took place at a residential building affiliated with the embassy in Rabieh neighborhood in west Amman, a police statement said, adding that a police task force responded to the incident and deployed to the site.
The statement, issued by the media unit at the Public Security Department (PSD), said that the initial investigation indicated that the two Jordanians were at the residential building “as carpenters who had entered the facility in this capacity.”
One of the two Jordanians at some point attacked the Israeli official with a screwdriver, according to media reports, and succumbed to gunshot wounds. However, the PSD statement omit all reference to the initial attack that led to the shooting.
“The investigation is still in its initial stage and a broader probe has been opened by PSD investigators to look into all the details of the incident and the public prosecution department has been notified,” the police said.
According to a senior Jordanian government source speaking to Jordan Times, Jordan is demanding that Israeli authorities hand over the embassy employee to investigate and take legal action against him.
The same government source insisted that Jordan would take steps to escalate the diplomatic crisis in the event that the Israeli diplomat is not handed over to the security authorities.
Israel’s Reshet Bet radio on Monday morning reported that a senior Israeli official is on his way to Amman to resolve the crisis.