Queen Rania of Jordan hosts iftar banquet for women in armed forces

Queen Rania of Jordan hosts iftar banquet for women in armed forces
Queen Rania conveyed King Abdullah II’s greetings to the guests. (Petra)
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Updated 27 March 2025

Queen Rania of Jordan hosts iftar banquet for women in armed forces

Queen Rania of Jordan hosts iftar banquet for women in armed forces
  • Efforts of military, security personnel ‘make us proud,’ she says
  • Monarch conveys King Abdullah II’s greetings to guests at Ramadan meal

LONDON: Queen Rania of Jordan on Wednesday evening hosted an iftar banquet at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman for women serving in the country’s armed forces and security services.

She conveyed King Abdullah II’s greetings to the guests and praised them as “an example of dedication and service to the nation,” the Petra agency reported.

“Your stances, whether inside or outside Jordan, make us proud,” she said.

The queen said a unique bond between citizens and the military had developed over the years.

“It’s a natural relationship based on trust, love and respect for the military’s motto. Most of our homes have either a military person or someone related to the army or security,” she said.

The queen spoke directly to several of the guests about their lives and families.

“May God protect you as a source of strength for the nation and support for your colleagues in serving this country,” she said.


US envoy reaffirms commitment to Lebanon’s disarmament of Hezbollah

US envoy reaffirms commitment to Lebanon’s disarmament of Hezbollah
Updated 14 sec ago

US envoy reaffirms commitment to Lebanon’s disarmament of Hezbollah

US envoy reaffirms commitment to Lebanon’s disarmament of Hezbollah
  • Diplomat Thomas Barrack touts reward of economic aid, but cannot offer Lebanon a commitment by Israeli authorities to fully implement US-backed peace plan
  • Lebanese army moving forward with plan to disarm Hezbollah and other armed non-state groups

BEIRUT: US envoy Thomas Barrack on Tuesday promised Lebanese officials that the disarmament of Hezbollah would unlock economic assistance and international aid.

However, those who met Barrack and his diplomatic colleague, Morgan Ortagus, said he failed to deliver any public commitment by Israeli authorities that they would fully implement a US-backed ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024.

A government source told Arab News: “Lebanon took the first step when the cabinet adopted the clause restricting arms to state authority and approved the US proposal, with Lebanese amendments added to it.

“Meanwhile, Israel has neither adopted nor committed to the proposal, limiting itself to congratulating the Lebanese Cabinet on its decision, a move that practically means nothing to Lebanon.”

President Joseph Aoun met Barrack on Tuesday morning to discuss the envoy’s recent visit to Israel and the positions of Israeli officials.

After their meeting, the president’s office reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the Nov. 27 ceasefire deal, brokered by the US and France.

“Aoun also stressed adherence to the joint US-Lebanese statement endorsed in its entirety by the Cabinet,” it added.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also met the envoys and told them: “The path of arms monopoly, and the extension of state authority and its monopoly over decisions of war and peace, is a path that has already begun and there is no turning back.”

He described the Cabinet’s decision to take action to disarm non-state organizations as a “firm” one, and confirmed that the Lebanese army has been tasked with developing a comprehensive plan to bring all weapons under state control by the end of the year. It is scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet next week.

“This (peace) proposal is based on the concept of synchronized steps to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the full cessation of hostilities,” Salam said.

The Lebanese response to information from Israel conveyed by Barrack suggested that “his shuttle visits to Beirut and Tel Aviv may not yield progress in the near term, so long as Israel has not declared a commitment to the proposal and its terms,” a government source said.

Following his meeting with Aoun at the Presidential Palace, Barrack said: “The president, the prime minister and the parliament speaker performed a heroic act by responding to the proposals we submitted. Israel’s response was also historic.”

He expressed confidence that the Lebanese government would respect the timeline for the disarmament plan, after which Israel is expected to submit its own proposal for withdrawal from occupied areas of Lebanon on and near the border.

“Israel says that it doesn’t want to occupy Lebanon,” Barrack said. “I am hopeful, because the Lebanese government did an impressive job and pledged to commit to 11 specific items in the US proposal, the first of which tasks the Lebanese army with presenting a plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament.

“We are waiting for the government and army’s plan at the end of the month. This is not about the outbreak of war but, rather, about how to persuade Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons.”

Ortagus, Barrack’s colleague, said that Israeli authorities were monitoring the situation closely and would advance “step by step” alongside the actions of the Lebanese government.

“We will help the government move forward with its historic decision and we encourage Israel to take its steps as well,” she added.

Barrack, who visited Syria before arriving in Lebanon, said that the Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, seeks cooperative rather than hostile relations with Lebanon.

“He does not see the weakness of the Shiites as an opportunity for himself but, rather, looks forward to a historic relationship and cooperation with Lebanon, and he is ready for talks on the borders,” Barrack said.

Noting that US President Donald Trump had stated “he wants to see a prosperous and stable Lebanon,” Barrack hinted at plans to establish an economic zone in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border with Israel.

“We will bring in the Gulf states to contribute to the economic zone in the south,” said Barrack. “We will also remove the Israeli fear, keeping in mind that a peace agreement with Israel is the path to achieving prosperity and peace.”

Also on Tuesday, President Aoun met members of a US congressional delegation that included senators Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham, and member of Congress Joe Wilson.

Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire and ranking member of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, expressed support for “the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah,” acknowledging that it “is a difficult but crucial step and we support the bold decisions taken by the government.”

She added that “the Lebanese army needs material and logistical support and we discussed that today.”

Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said: “The idea of disarming Hezbollah comes from the Lebanese people.

“The party (Hezbollah) serves a foreign agenda, not the Lebanese people. It is not loyal to the people, and I believe the Lebanese want a better future. Israel will not view Lebanon differently unless Lebanon does something different. Without disarming Hezbollah, discussions about withdrawal with Israel would be futile.

“Iran, a close ally of Hezbollah, is currently in a weak position; it does not intend good, but its capabilities have diminished.”

Graham added: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should view Lebanon differently once Hezbollah is disarmed. The United States defends religious diversity in Lebanon. If you make an effort to disarm Hezbollah, we will be here to help you. Congress views Lebanon differently, and if it continues on this path it will have opportunities.”

Meanwhile, Barrack and Ortagus also met several other Lebanese political figures, including former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt. Barrack was scheduled to travel to southern Lebanon on Wednesday to visit areas devastated by Israeli attacks.

After arriving in Lebanon from Syria on Monday, the large American delegation spent several hours that evening in Beirut’s Gemmayzeh Street, known for its abundance of restaurants, cafes and bars.


Former European ambassadors slam EU’s Gaza response

Former European ambassadors slam EU’s Gaza response
Updated 28 min 6 sec ago

Former European ambassadors slam EU’s Gaza response

Former European ambassadors slam EU’s Gaza response
  • Open letter signed by more than 200 ex-diplomats says Brussels has failed to put pressure on Israel over conflict
  • Calls for member states to act alone in halting arms exports and introducing sanctions 

LONDON: More than 200 former European ambassadors and senior diplomats have angrily rebuked the EU for failing to take any “substantive measures” to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.

Western nations have faced growing pressure to take stronger action against Israel as the daily slaughter of Palestinian civilians continues.

The EU in particular has faced strong criticism for struggling to take a tougher stance to end the war.

Last month, the bloc failed to agree on a range of sanctions against Israel despite a review finding the country had breached its human rights obligations under an association agreement with the EU.

European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the sanction measures proposed on July 15 had been paused after Israel agreed to allow more aid to flow into Gaza.

In an published Tuesday, 209 former EU ambassadors and senior staff, along with ex ambassadors from European states, condemned out the bloc’s failure to act.

“We express our profound disappointment that, in response to the deteriorating situation in Gaza, no substantive measures have been taken by the EU to pressure Israel to end its brutal war, to resume vital humanitarian assistance by mainstream providers, and to dismantle its illegal occupation of both Gaza and the West Bank,” the letter said.

It called on the EU “to demonstrate real leadership, worthy of the overwhelming majority of European citizens whose profound disquiet over the current deplorable situation in Palestine is palpable, and consistent with core European values.”

The former diplomats called on the EU to halt arms exports to Israel, stop funding- joint projects, withdraw from joint research projects, and stop trade in goods and services with illegal settlements.

The letter also called for a ban on Israeli military ships and aircraft from European ports and airspace and a ban on Israeli data linked to Gaza and the Occupied West Bank from being used in European data centers.

The letter called on European states to take action individually or along with like-minded countries given the EU’s “failure to take an active stand."  

Some of the signatories had sent a letter last month expressing deep concern about the EU’s response to the war in Gaza, which many international bodies and observers say has descended into genocide.

The letter published Tuesday said that since then, “more than 2,600 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, many of them women and children.

“The Israeli government has begun implementing plans to empty Gaza City and its environs of one million Palestinians, by forcing them into concentration areas in the south, in preparation for possible large-scale deportations to third countries,” the letter said.

“Our reiterated and urgent call for action reflects our deep concern at the unjustified retribution and appalling violations of humanitarian and human rights law being committed by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people on a daily basis.”

Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, former EU ambassador to the Palestinian Territories and one of the diplomats coordinating the response, said there was such dismay within European institutions that people are saying “enough is enough.”

He told The Guardian: “We can’t stay paralyzed if the 27 (member states) can’t take action, that betrays our values. So we have proposed nine actions that can be taken at the state level or by groups of states.”

He added: “European governments are losing credibility not just in the global south but with our own citizens, in every member state.”


US rights groups write to Rubio to demand Israel release teenager 

US rights groups write to Rubio to demand Israel release teenager 
Updated 26 August 2025

US rights groups write to Rubio to demand Israel release teenager 

US rights groups write to Rubio to demand Israel release teenager 
  • Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim, 16, has been held for 6 months in Israeli jail without charge
  • US Embassy staff say he has lost significant weight, developed scabies in detention

LONDON: Human rights groups in the US have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to secure the release of a Palestinian-American boy imprisoned in Israel.

Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim, 16, of Palm Bay, Florida, has been held for six months without charge over allegations of rock throwing in the occupied West Bank.

More than 100 groups — including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Pax Christi USA — warned Rubio that the boy’s health is deteriorating and he needs to be freed.

“Mohammed is an American child with a community in Florida who cares about him deeply,” they wrote to the secretary of state. “It is the responsibility of the US government to protect all American children, including Palestinian-Americans.”

Ibrahim was just 15 when Israeli soldiers detained him at his family’s home in the West Bank.
His father contacted Mike Haridopolos, Republican congressman for Florida, after 45 days without contact with his son. Haridopolos’s office shared details of the case with the State Department.

US Embassy officials in Israel were “following standard procedures,” the family was told, and had sent representatives to meet the boy in prison, where they reported he had lost 25 lb and developed scabies.

Ibrahim’s cousin Sayfollah Musallet, 20, was killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank in July.

The Guardian reported that Ibrahim is accused of throwing rocks at military vehicles on at least two occasions, according to court documents. He is due for a hearing on Oct. 29.

Ibrahim is being held at Ofer prison, having previously been in Megiddo prison, where a 17-year-old Palestinian died in April. Both have been described by human rights groups as having abusive conditions.

“Mohammed traveled to his family’s home in the West Bank for a family vacation to see loved ones,” the group wrote in its letter.
“The Israeli military took Mohammed when he was only 15 years old, forcing him to spend his 16th birthday in an Israeli military prison, terrified and separated from his parents.”

They added that his detention breaks the Fourth Geneva Convention’s ban on transferring detainees from occupied territory to the territory of an occupying power.

“Dozens of Palestinian-American families own land in the West Bank — Palestinian cities and villages that are increasingly being targeted by Israeli settlers and the Israeli military,” the groups said.
“Yet, Palestinian-American families are not receiving any protection from the US government against rising Israeli settler and Israeli military violence against them.”

In August, a billboard advertisement in Times Square, New York City, was put up by the ADC to highlight Ibrahim’s case. It featured an image of him with the words “unjustly imprisoned by Israel” emblazoned on it.

Defense for Children International-Palestine says at least 323 Palestinian children aged 17 or younger are being held in Israeli jails.

A State Department spokesperson said in a statement: “Whenever a US citizen is detained abroad, the Department works to provide consular assistance in accordance with US and international law.”

The spokesperson added: “If we become aware of an arrest of any US citizen, including a minor, we will provide consular services, including prison visits.”


Suspect arrested over Amman girl’s murder after suicide attempt

Suspect arrested over Amman girl’s murder after suicide attempt
Updated 26 August 2025

Suspect arrested over Amman girl’s murder after suicide attempt

Suspect arrested over Amman girl’s murder after suicide attempt
  • Investigators quickly identified a suspect, who remained at large until Tuesday, when police received a report of a man trying to jump from the second floor of a residential building

AMMAN: Jordanian authorities have arrested a man suspected of murdering a girl found buried in an uninhabited area of Amman, after he attempted to take his own life, it was reported on Tuesday.

The Public Security Directorate said forensic reports confirmed the victim had died by strangulation, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Investigators quickly identified a suspect, who remained at large until Tuesday, when police received a report of a man trying to jump from the second floor of a residential building in the Bayader region of the Jordanian capital.

Police confirmed the man was the main suspect in the case.

After receiving medical treatment, he confessed to killing the girl following a dispute and burying her in a 3 meter-deep hole with the help of a relative, who was also arrested.

The PSD said the case has been referred to the Public Prosecutor at the Grand Criminal Court.

Authorities first launched the investigation on Monday, after a tip-off led police to the site where the body had been buried.


Lebanon to propose Hezbollah disarmament plan on August 31, US envoy says

US Ambassador to Turkiye and US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
US Ambassador to Turkiye and US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Updated 26 August 2025

Lebanon to propose Hezbollah disarmament plan on August 31, US envoy says

US Ambassador to Turkiye and US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack speaks after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
  • Barrack said the Lebanese proposal would not involve military coercion but would focus on efforts to encourage Hezbollah to surrender its weapons

BEIRUT: Lebanon will present a plan on Sunday aimed at persuading Hezbollah to disarm, with Israel expected to submit a corresponding framework for its military withdrawal, top US envoy Thomas Barrack said on Tuesday.

Speaking after talks with President Joseph Aoun in Beirut, Barrack said the Lebanese proposal would not involve military coercion but would focus on efforts to encourage Hezbollah to surrender its weapons — including addressing the economic impact on fighters funded by Iran.

“The Lebanese army and government are not talking about going to war. They are talking about how to convince Hezbollah to give up those arms,” Barrack said.

A move this month by the Lebanese cabinet to task the army with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms has outraged heavily armed Hezbollah, which says such calls only serve Israel.

Israel signalled on Monday it would scale back its military presence in southern Lebanon if Lebanon’s armed forces took action to disarm the Iran-backed Shiite militant group.

Barrack, who met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, described that development as “historic.”

“What Israel has now said is: we don’t want to occupy Lebanon. We’re happy to withdraw from Lebanon, and we will meet those withdrawal expectations with our plan as soon as we see what is the plan to actually disarm Hezbollah,” he said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, after meeting the US delegation, said Lebanon had embarked on an irreversible path to place all weapons under state control, with the army due to present a comprehensive plan by next week.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, in a recorded speech aired on Monday, criticized the government’s decision to disarm the group and urged officials to reverse it, saying pulling back “would be a virtue.”

While no formal proposals have been exchanged, Barrack said verbal commitments from both sides suggested a narrowing path toward implementation.

Economic consideration

Hezbollah was significantly weakened in last year’s war with Israel, which killed many of its top commanders and fighters. A US-brokered ceasefire ending the conflict obliges the Lebanese state to disarm all non-state armed groups.

Israel, meanwhile, has held on to positions inside Lebanon and its military has continued to carry out periodic air strikes it says target Hezbollah militants and weapons.

Qassem rejected a step-by-step framework under which an Israeli withdrawal and Hezbollah disarmament would proceed in parallel.

Qassem said Hezbollah would not discuss a national defense strategy until Israel fully implemented the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27.

“Let them implement the (ceasefire) agreement ... then after that we will discuss the defense strategy,” Qassem said.

Barrack stressed that any disarmament initiative must address the economic impact on tens of thousands of Hezbollah fighters and their families, many of whom rely on Iranian funding.

“If we’re asking a portion of the Lebanese community to give up their livelihood — because when we say disarm Hezbollah, we’re talking about 40,000 people being paid by Iran — you can’t just take their weapons and say, ‘Good luck, go plant olive trees’. We have to help them.”

He said Gulf states, including Qatar and , were prepared to support Lebanon’s economy — particularly in the south, which is Hezbollah’s stronghold — as part of an initiative to provide alternatives to Hezbollah’s payroll system.

Barrack said discussions were under way to build an “economic forum” backed by the Gulf, the US, and Lebanese authorities that would offer sustainable livelihoods “not determined by whether Iran wants it or not.”