Jordan’s King Abdullah ended weeks of speculation when he announced Oct. 21 that the kingdom is terminating two annexes in its 1994 peace treaty with Israel regarding the special use of Jordanian territories. The 25-year “special regime” allowing Israelis to use Baqoura and Ghumar lands in northern and southern Jordan ends in November 2019, but notice of termination must be given by either party one year before.

Pressure by political parties, lawmakers and the public has been building for some time on the Jordanian government to clarify its position regarding the fate of Baqoura and Ghumar. For the majority of Jordanians, the “leasing” of Jordanian lands to Israel under the peace treaty was seen as a national disgrace. It is no wonder that Jordanians from all walks of life warmly welcomed the king’s announcement, first made through his official Twitter account.

The king tweeted that “Baqoura and Ghumar have always been at the top of our priorities,” adding, “Our decision is to terminate the Baqoura and Ghumar annexes from the [1994 Jordan-Israel] peace treaty out of our keenness to take all decisions that would serve Jordan and Jordanians.”

Baqoura, a strip of agricultural land at the confluence of the Jordan and Yarmouk rivers in northern Jordan, was occupied by Israel in 1950, while Ghumar in southern Jordan was captured by Israel between 1968 and 1970. Both lands were returned to Jordanian sovereignty under the peace treaty, but Israel was allowed to use them for a period of 25 years.