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AMMAN — The 32nd session of the International Hashemite Competition for the Memorisation and Recitation of the Holy Quran for Men commenced on Thursday at the Islamic Cultural Centre in the King Abdullah I Mosque, welcoming 54 participants from 51 countries.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mohammad Khalayleh reaffirmed Jordan’s enduring commitment to hosting Quranic competitions under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah. He highlighted the King’s continuous support for Quranic institutions, the Ministry of Awqaf, and individuals dedicated to memorising the Holy Quran.

Khalayleh noted that this year’s competition coincides with the last ten days of Ramadan, a sacred period in which the Quran was revealed. 

He also underscored Jordan’s pioneering role in launching this globally recognised event, which has produced many distinguished Quran memorisers. Students from the ministry’s Quranic centres have consistently achieved top rankings in international competitions, he added.

To further encourage Quran memorisation, the ministry recently introduced a special certificate awarded to those who complete memorisation as a mark of distinction. Additionally, the ministry currently supports more than 2,200 permanent Quranic centres across the Kingdom.

In a historic initiative, the ministry is set to print a version of the Holy Quran using its own printing presses for the first time, reprinting the Al Al Bayt edition, Khalayleh said.

AMMAN — Jordan marks the 57th anniversary of Al Karamah Battle on Friday, in which Jordanian soldiers repelled an Israeli attack on the town of Karamah, or “dignity” in Arabic, in the Jordan Valley.

His Majesty King Abdullah has received cables from senior officials and officers on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of Al Karamah Battle, which falls on 21 March.

HRH Crown Prince Hussein received similar cables on the occasion.

Eighty-six Jordanian soldiers lost their lives and 108 were wounded in the battle on March 21, 1968.

The Israeli raid was repelled with heavy losses as the Jordanian army launched an artillery barrage against Israeli tanks.

A total of 250 Israeli soldiers were killed and 450 were wounded.

The Jordanian army lost 13 tanks and 39 various vehicles, while Israel had 88 vehicles destroyed and seven fighter planes shot down.

The battle objective as announced by Israel was to destroy the garrison of Arab fighters in Karamah, while the real goal of the attack was to occupy the eastern highlands of the Jordan Valley in Balqa, 35 kilometres northwest of Amman, as Israel was attempting to close in on the capital to force the surrender of Jordan and to obtain new land.

In addition to occupying more land, Israel aimed to destroy the Jordanian army and affirm its superiority after winning the 1967 war.

In the fifth hour of the battle, Israel requested a ceasefire that was rejected by His Majesty the late King Hussein, who affirmed his rejection “as long as a single Israeli soldier is still on the eastern bank of the Jordan River”.

In his speech after the battle ended, King Hussein said that the battle had shown excellent planning and implementation of strategies on the part of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and intelligence agencies, which deprived the enemy of the element of surprise by predicting the attack.

After the battle, several senior Western military officers and press outlets expressed admiration for Jordan’s determination and heroism, which led to victory against a superior army.

AMMAN — The Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday visited the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO), commending its vital role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

During the visit, Committee Chairperson MP Dina Bashir, along with members Ibrahim Tarawneh, Wasfi Haddad, Mohammad Aqel, Rakeen Abu Hanieh, Tamara Nasser Al Din, Dima Tahboub and Noor Abu Ghosh, commended JHCO’s efforts in delivering aid to Gaza and other friendly countries.

The committee underscored the humanitarian values driving JHCO’s mission and reaffirmed its full support for His Majesty King Abdullah’s initiatives to defend the Palestinian people and oppose their forced displacement, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Members also stressed the importance of Jordan’s diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in ensuring the sustained flow of aid to Gaza.

JHCO Secretary General Hussein Shibli highlighted the organisation’s large-scale relief operations, carried out in coordination with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) and international partners.

Since the onset of the crisis, JHCO has dispatched 53 relief aircraft to Arish and Rafah, 13 directly by the organisation and 40 in cooperation with international entities. Additionally, 139 airdrops have been conducted, including 125 by Jordan and 266 in collaboration with allied nations.

On land, a total of 7,737 aid trucks have been sent to Gaza via the land bridge, with 3,875 dispatched in partnership with the JAF and 3,862 in cooperation with international organisations.

Following the ceasefire, JHCO has facilitated the delivery of 2,638 trucks across 36 aid convoys, alongside 62,324 tents, 147,338 tarpaulins, and 30 caravans to support displaced families. The aid has reached 1,364,684 people in Gaza, including 401 amputees who have received prosthetic limbs.

As part of its ongoing relief efforts, JHCO has sent 102 aircraft carrying medical, food, and health supplies, amounting to 105,517 tonnes of aid. Moreover, 148 agreements have been signed to ensure the continuous provision of humanitarian assistance.

Reaffirming its commitment to its humanitarian mission under Royal directives, JHCO pledged to continue working with various partners to ensure aid reaches those most in need in Gaza and beyond.

AMMAN — The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) has provided aid to more than 22,000 individuals since the start of Ramadan as part of its ongoing humanitarian campaign.

The initiative, launched in cooperation with various partners, aims to support vulnerable families by alleviating financial hardships during the holy month.

JHCO detailed the types of assistance distributed, including food parcels, shopping vouchers, blankets, kerosene heaters, and clothing vouchers to provide essential support to struggling families, Al Mamlaka TV reported.

As part of its continued outreach, JHCO visited Jerash on Thursday, distributing food parcels to over 1,000 beneficiaries, aligning with the organisation’s broader goal of reaching as many vulnerable individuals as possible across the Kingdom.

Reaffirming its commitment to humanitarian work, JHCO highlighted the importance of strong partnerships in ensuring aid reaches those most in need. The organisation also expressed gratitude to donors and volunteers, acknowledging their crucial role in the success of its charitable initiatives.

AMMAN — The Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) reported on Thursday that Ras Munif station recorded the highest rainfall in the past 24 hours, reaching 13.6 millimetres (mm), followed by Irbid with 11 mm.

In a statement, the JMD provided rainfall measurements across various locations. Samma station recorded 7.3 mm, Salt 5.4 mm, Amman/Al Hussein Public Parks 4 mm, Rabba 3.8 mm, Tafileh 3.5 mm, Madaba and Jerash 1.5 mm each, Baqoura and Amman/Jubeiha 1 mm each, downtown Amman 1 mm, Qweismeh 0.5 mm, Ghor Al Safi and Wadi Al-Rayan 0.4 mm each, Deir Alla 0.3 mm, Amman Civil Airport 0.2 mm, while Zarqa recorded the lowest at 0.1 mm.

The recent rainfall in Ajloun Governorate has helped enhance the rainy season and increased water levels in Kufranja Dam, ensuring sufficient water flow for irrigation and sustaining stream flows during the summer months, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Farmers expressed optimism about the March showers, highlighting their positive impact on rain-fed agriculture and various crops. They noted that the increased spring flow would enhance water reserves and improve soil moisture levels, benefiting agricultural productivity.

Ajloun Agriculture Director Rami Adwan described the rainfall as promising, noting an accumulation of 10.94 mm since Wednesday. He encouraged the adoption of water harvesting projects and the construction of household wells to store water, particularly in preparation for the high demand during the summer season.

AMMAN — The Ministry of Health on Thursday concluded the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, known as "Madad," a five-year project supported by the EU.

During the closing ceremony, the project’s significant achievements were highlighted, underscoring its vital role in strengthening Jordan's healthcare system, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Health Minister Firas Hawari, who presided over the event, highlighted the project’s impact on improving the Kingdom’s healthcare infrastructure and ensuring access to high-quality medical services for all residents, including both Jordanians and Syrian refugees.

In the presence of government representatives, health sector officials, civil society organisations, and international agencies operating in Jordan, Hawari noted that the project played a crucial role in expanding national immunization programs.

He highlighted the distribution of millions of vaccine doses to children, the establishment of a modern regional vaccine warehouse in Irbid, and the upgrading of storage capacities at the national vaccine warehouse, enhancing Jordan’s ability to introduce new vaccines in the future.

Additionally, the project trained and qualified more than 2,000 healthcare providers and facilitated the transition to a strategic vaccine procurement system in cooperation with the Government Procurement Department and the Jordan Food and Drug Administration, helping secure high-quality vaccines at optimal prices.

Hawari also stressed that the project had significantly strengthened the resilience of Jordan’s healthcare system in responding to emergencies and crises, particularly in supporting the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also pointed to the project’s contribution to enhancing national pharmaceutical security through the establishment of a strategic medical warehouse in Yajouz, Zarqa Governorate, ensuring an emergency stockpile sufficient for an additional four months.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas highlighted the project's considerable success and lasting impact, particularly in expanding immunisation coverage across the Kingdom, including underserved areas and communities hosting Syrian refugees.

He also noted that the project improved the medical supply chain by rehabilitating 10 regional warehouses and constructing four new facilities to store medicines and vaccines, a key step towards Jordan’s goal of achieving universal health coverage.

With a total budget of 43 million euros, the project successfully met its objectives of strengthening primary healthcare, improving vaccine access for Syrian refugees and host communities, and enhancing healthcare quality within an integrated governance system.

Among its key achievements were the establishment of a regional vaccination centre in Irbid, the installation of solar power at the national vaccine warehouse, and the purchase of four cold rooms and 380 vaccine refrigerators, enhancing the efficiency and capacity of the national immunisation programme.

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a September 2022 State Security Court (SSC) ruling, sentencing a drug dealer to over three years in prison after convicting him of possessing illegal narcotics in Amman In June 2022.

The court declared the defendant guilty of obtaining illegal narcotics (Crystal meth) in Sahab area on June 21.

The court also convicted the defendant of resisting arrest charges.

The SSC handed the defendant five years in prison for the offence of possessing illegal narcotics and ordered him to pay JD5,000 in fines.

However, the court decided to reduce the fine to JD3,400 and the prison term to three years and four months in prison to give the defendant a second chance in life.

Court documents said the Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) learnt the defendant was in possession of illegal narcotics and placed him under surveillance.

On the day of his arrest, the court maintained, the defendant “drew a paper cutter and waved it at arresting officers but was immediately contained by AND agents,” court documents said.

Upon searching his home, AND agents found 45 grammes of Crystal meth.

The defendant contested the SSC’s ruling through his lawyer, who argued that the court “did not provide solid evidence to implicate his client”.

Meanwhile, the SSC prosecution office asked the higher court to uphold the sentence and the fine imposed on the defendant.

The higher court maintained that the SSC had followed the proper procedures in issuing the sentence against the defendant.

“It was clear to the court that the defendant confessed willingly to possessing the illegal drugs with the intent of selling it in the local market,” the higher court said.

The Court of Cassation judges were Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the full implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

In a series of calls with his counterparts from Algeria, Egypt, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Austria, Safadi urged urgent international intervention to pressure Israel into ending its aggression and reopening border crossings to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged Strip.

He also warned that Israel’s renewed military operations and blockade of aid would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Condemning the ongoing attacks and the use of food as a weapon, he stressed the need for a sustainable ceasefire, beginning with the full enforcement of the exchange agreement.

Safadi also underscored ongoing regional and international efforts to broker a ceasefire and facilitate aid deliveries. Addressing the situation in the West Bank, he cautioned against Israel’s illegal actions, warning they could further escalate tensions.

In a call with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, Safadi strongly condemned the killing of a Bulgarian UN worker during an Israeli raid on a United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) compound. He conveyed Jordan’s condolences and emphasised Israel’s responsibility, as an occupying force, to ensure the safety of international organisations and their personnel.

During his call with Austria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Safadi discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and congratulated her on her new role.

Both ministers reaffirmed the strong Jordanian-Austrian partnership and expressed their commitment to deepening cooperation. They also exchanged views on developments in Syria.

Safadi also talked with Austrian Chancellor and former Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, thanking him for his efforts in strengthening Jordanian-Austrian relations during his tenure.