JERUSALEM: Israel will not prosecute a guard from its embassy in Amman who killed two Jordanians in July, as had long been demanded by the kingdom, two Israeli sources said on Sunday.
Instead, the Foreign Ministry and Shin Bet security agency will review protocols surrounding the actions taken by the guard, and his conduct, 鈥渁nd share the results with the Jordanians,鈥� a diplomatic source said.
The killings led to a rift between the countries, which both said last week had been mended.
Jordan said Israel had apologized for the embassy deaths, would compensate the victims鈥� next of kin and 鈥渋mplement and follow up legal measures鈥� in the case.
Jordanian officials were not immediately available to comment on the diplomatic source鈥檚 account. Israel鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman declined comment.
Amman had previously demanded a homicide trial for the guard, whose repatriation under diplomatic immunity and hero鈥檚 welcome by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angered Jordanians.
Israel said in the aftermath of the incident that the guard had acted in self-defense, shooting a workman who stabbed and wounded him lightly, and that the second Jordanian was killed by stray fire.
Asked on Sunday whether criminal prosecution of the guard was possible, a second Israeli official told Reuters on condition of anonymity: 鈥淣o way.鈥�
The guard鈥檚 prospects of remaining in the Israeli secret service may be in doubt, however, after a Jordanian newspaper published his name and photograph.
Other fine-print elements of the reconciliation deal were designed to limit legal culpability for Israel, the diplomatic source said.
Israel would not pay damages to the next of kin directly, but instead provide a $5 million lump sum for the Jordanian government to disburse as compensation, that source said. The money is also meant to cover the needs of the family of a Jordanian shot dead by an Israeli border guard in 2014.
Two sources close to the families confirmed the payout sum.
The Israeli diplomatic source said the Netanyahu government had not apologized for the shooting of the alleged assailant but rather 鈥渧oiced regret.鈥�
On Thursday, a Jordanian government spokesman said Israel had sent a memorandum stating its 鈥渄eep regrets and apologies.鈥�
Yet Israel distinguishes between the two expressions of contrition, seeing in the latter a potential admission of guilt.
A deal reconciling Israel and Turkey over the killing of 10 pro-Palestinian Turks who tried to breach the Gaza blockade in 2010 included Israel voicing regret and paying $20 million into a Turkish fund that compensated the bereaved and injured.
In return, Ankara agreed not to seek the criminal prosecution of Israeli marines who raided the activists鈥� ship.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.
Three years later, during Netanyahu鈥檚 first term as prime minister, relations were strained when Israeli secret agents were caught spraying poison into the ear of Palestinian Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on an Amman street.
The assassination team was repatriated in return for an antidote for Meshaal and the release of Hamas鈥檚 spiritual leader, Ahmed Yassin, from an Israeli jail.
On Saturday night in a Twitter posting, Netanyahu expressed appreciation for behind-the-scenes efforts by US envoys Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt to help end the crisis with Jordan.