Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi said Sunday that the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Movement Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was and is an escalation step that constitutes a violation of international and humanitarian law. The remarks was made by Safadi to Iranian television and to reporters during his visit to the Iranian capital Tehran, and in response to an invitation from his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri. Safadi added that the assassination of Haniyeh is an attack on the sovereignty of states, "which we reject unequivocally and demand that there be effective action" to stop the Israeli occupation's aggression on Gaza, noting that his country is a pioneer in defending the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people, in addition to rejecting all the escalation measures taken by the occupation that prevent the achievement of security, stability and peace. The minister noted that his country also demands stopping the crimes c ommitted by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians and to protect the entire region from the consequences of a regional war that will have a destructive impact on everyone. Safadi also pointed out that his country wants a de-escalation in the region, explaining that the first step to end the escalation is to stop the occupation's aggression on Gaza, and to stop violations of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank. Earlier, Safadi held extensive talks with Bagheri on bilateral relations and regional developments. Source: Kuwait News Agency