AMMAN, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Sunday discussed dangerous escalation in the region with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement by Jordan's Foreign Ministry.

During a phone talk with Araghchi, Safadi condemned the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, stressing the need for a permanent ceasefire and Israel's adherence to a preliminary truce deal brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.

He also called on the international community to take a clear and effective stance to compel Israel to abide by its ceasefire agreement with Lebanon and halt its attacks on Syria in adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

Safadi and Araghchi also discussed bilateral issues, the statement said.

For his part, Araghchi voiced deep concern over Israel's repeated violations of ceasefire accords in Gaza and Lebanon, strongly denouncing Israeli attacks and the civilian casualties they inflicted. He urged the international community and Islamic nations to act swiftly to stop the escalation and prevent further threats to regional stability.

Since early Tuesday, the Israeli army has launched intensive airstrikes across Gaza, marking the first such escalation after the ceasefire in the coastal enclave took effect on Jan. 19.

The Gaza-based health authorities announced Sunday that the death toll from Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023 has surpassed 50,000.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Jordan's Foreign Ministry condemned Israel's plan to establish an agency for the "voluntary departure" of Palestinians from Gaza, denouncing it as a violation of international law and an act of forced displacement.

The ministry's spokesperson Sufian Qudah reaffirmed Jordan's absolute rejection and condemnation of the Israeli government's decision, citing UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems Israeli measures to alter the demographic composition of occupied Palestinian territories illegal.

Qudah called on the international community to hold Israel accountable, end its aggression in Gaza and the West Bank, and support Palestinian rights to an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Enditem

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