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AMMAN — Under royal directives, two new planes have landed at Marka Military Airport, carrying sick children from the Gaza Strip for treatment in the Kingdom.

Jordan has pledged to receive 2000 sick children from war-torn Gaza for treatment in Jordanian public and private hospitals, to be returned to the Strip after completing their treatment, the government-owned Al Mamlakah TV reported.

The military aircraft that arrived on Tuesday transferred children who had lost limbs from Gaza.

The evacuation of the children from Gaza by air and land, according to Al Mamlakah.

Many international organisations have expressed their readiness to support this humanitarian effort.

His Majesty King Abdullah announced during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on February 11 that approximately 2,000 children suffering from cancer and other serious medical conditions in Gaza would be evacuated to Jordan for treatment as part of Jordan's efforts to enhance the humanitarian response.

The children will be transferred from Gaza to Jordan in cooperation with the World Health Organisation and relevant authorities to ensure the provision of all medical and logistical facilities for this humanitarian operation, Al Mamlakah said.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, attended an iftar hosted by the General Command of JAF on Monday. 

Prior to the iftar, His Majesty, accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, inaugurated the Military Media Directorate’s Military Documentation Centre, which houses thousands of JAF documents, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King listened to a briefing on the centre and its sections documenting JAF battles and participation in peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operations.

The King and the attendees also performed the maghreb prayer, the statement said. 

His Majesty congratulated all army and security agencies personnel on the holy month of Ramadan and the 69th anniversary of the Arabisation of the leadership of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, expressing pride in their dedication and discipline.

General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, Public Security Directorate Director Maj. Gen. Obeidallah Maaytah, and a number of army and security agencies personnel attended the iftar. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday accepted the credentials of a number of new ambassadors to Jordan.

His Majesty accepted the credentials of ambassadors Asari Hideki of Japan and Yakup Caymazoğlu of Türkiye, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King also accepted the credentials of non-resident ambassadors George Alexander Said-Zammit of Malta, Nguyen Thanh Diep of Vietnam, Oumer Hussein Oba of Ethiopia, and Tatiana Daniela Garcia Silva of Nicaragua, the statement said. 

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nancy Namrouqa attended the ceremony, which was held at Basman Palace.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Monday met with the head and members of the Eradah Party and the Islamic National Bloc at the Lower House.

This meeting was part of the government’s ongoing efforts to engage with party-based blocs within the Lower House, according to a Prime Ministry statement. 

During the meeting, Hassan reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering continuous dialogue with various parliamentary blocs, emphasising that dialogue is integral to establishing a genuine partnership with the Lower House as part of the political modernisation framework aimed at strengthening Jordan’s political party system.

Hassan also discussed the government’s strategic policies across economic, political and administrative sectors, with a particular focus on advancing key investment projects and strategic initiatives that aim to stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities.

The prime minister also stressed Jordan’s unwavering stance on the Palestinian cause, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah emphasising Jordan's rejection of displacement, resettlement and alternative homeland solutions.

He also reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to achieving a comprehensive political resolution based on the two-state solution, which ensures Palestinians regain their full legitimate rights in their homeland.

Khamis Atieh, head of the Eradah Party and Islamic National Bloc, commended the government’s approach to maintaining open communication with parliamentary blocs, calling it a responsible and transparent policy. 

Atieh also said that such cooperation represents a true national partnership, vital for advancing the country’s political, economic, and administrative reforms in alignment with the vision of His Majesty the King.

Atieh also urged the government to closely monitor markets during Ramadan, calling for decisive action to prevent unjustified price hikes on essential goods. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that citizens can access basic necessities without added financial burden.

CAIRO — Arab foreign ministers met behind closed doors in Cairo on Monday ahead of an extraordinary Arab League summit focused on a plan to counter US President Donald Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and expel its residents.

The ministers held a "preparatory and consultative" session centred on an Arab plan to reconstruct the war-battered enclave without displacing its 2.4 million residents, a source at the Arab League told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The meeting was closed to the press, the source said, adding that the plan "would be presented to Arab leaders at Tuesday's summit for approval".

Ahead of the session, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate meetings with Arab counterparts, including from Jordan, Bahrain, Tunisia, Iraq and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian top diplomat.

During the meetings, Abdelatty called for "moving forward with early recovery projects" in Gaza without displacing Palestinians, an Egyptian foreign ministry statement said.

Trump triggered global outrage when he floated a plan for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", while forcing its Palestinian residents to relocate to Egypt and Jordan.

The plan has united Arab countries in opposition, with Riyadh hosting a consultative meeting of Arab leaders last month to discuss "joint efforts in support of the Palestinian cause". 

At a news conference in Cairo on Sunday, Abdelatty said the Gaza reconstruction plan was ready and would be presented to Arab leaders at the summit in Cairo for approval.

Trump has recently appeared to soften his stance on the plan.

"I think that's a plan that really works, but I'm not forcing it," Trump said. "I'm just gonna sit back and recommend it."

AMMAN — The Southern Military Zone on Monday thwarted a drug smuggling attempt, involving a drone along its western frontier within its area of responsibility.

A military source from the General Command of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), the border guards, in cooperation with military security agencies and the Anti-Narcotics Department, applied the rules of engagement after detecting and tracking the drone, which was dealt with and brought down inside Jordanian territory, according to a JAF statement.

The source stressed that JAF remains committed to utilising its various capabilities and resources to prevent all forms smuggling, ensuring the security and stability of the Kingdom.

According to a recent statement to The Jordan Times, the Military Media Directorate said that there has been a noticeable shift in smuggling activities towards the southern borders of the Kingdom.

“The reasons behind this shift are multifaceted, rooted in a combination of rigorous security measures, regional instability, and the ingenuity of the criminal networks involved in drug trafficking,” the directorate added.

“In response to this evolving threat, the JAF has deployed a combination of high-tech solutions and strategic military initiatives, including the use of advanced surveillance technologies such as drones and satellite systems to monitor remote border areas, allowing the military to detect smuggling attempts in real time.”

AMMAN — A total of 43,704 Syrian refugees voluntarily returned home from Jordan between December 8, 2024, and February 22, 2025, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The data shows that among the returnees, 23,867 were male and 19,837 were female. The largest group of male returnees fell within the 18-35 age range (8,166 individuals), followed by those aged 36-59 (5,241 individuals). 

For female returnees, the 18-35 age group was also the largest, comprising 5,913 individuals, followed by the 36-59 age group with 3,923 individuals, Al Mamlaka TV, reported.

Regarding the type of return, the data indicated that 70 per cent of the returning families made a full return, totalling 30,605 families, while 30 per cent, or 13,099 families, made a partial return.

The returnees had previously resided in different Jordanian governorates before returning to Syria. A total of 10,560 individuals lived in Amman, 10,172 in Irbid, and 7,479 in Mafraq, while 8,345 were in other areas. 

Additionally, 4,594 refugees had been in the Zaatari camp, 2,393 in the Azraq camp and a smaller number in the Emirati-Jordanian camp (EJC). 

The data also showed that 84 per cent of returnees had lived in urban areas before returning to Syria, while 16 per cent had lived in refugee camps.

In terms of the returnees’ original provinces in Syria, the largest group came from Daraa, with 14,650 returnees, followed by 10,951 from Homs and 5,607 from rural Damascus. Other notable figures included 2,237 returnees from Damascus and 1,850 from Aleppo.

According to the Ministry of Interior, 42,675 Syrians have left Jordan through the Jaber border crossing since the fall of the Bashar Al Assad regime.

The ministry noted that 7,117 refugees left Jordan from the camps, while 35,558 left from various other areas of the Kingdom, confirming that all Syrians who left the Kingdom did so "voluntarily".

Jordan is currently hosting some 1.3 million Syrian refugees, including 660,000 registered with the UNHCR, as well as some 61,000 Iraqi refugees.