Author: Web Desk

Israel said on Sunday that its military has completed a preliminary review of civilian deaths at a Gaza aid convoylast week in which it claimed that its forces did not strike the convoy and that most Palestinians died in a stampede.

Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari claimed that the military also launched a more thorough examination of the incident to be handled by ‘an independent, professional and expert body’ which will share its findings as early as in the coming days.

Pressure has mounted on Israel over the deaths of dozens of Palestiniansduring a confused incident in the Gaza Strip on Thursday in which crowds surrounded a convoy of aid trucks and soldiers opened fire, with several countries backing a UN call for an inquiry.

Health authorities in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip said Israeli forces had killed more than 100 people trying to reach a relief convoy near Gaza City.

‘The IDF has concluded an initial review of the unfortunate incident where Gazan civilians were trampled to death and
injured as they charged to the aid convoy,’ said Hagari.

The review, he said, which gathered information from commanders and troops in the field, determined that no strike was carried out towards the aid convoy.

‘The majority of Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the stampede,’ Hagari said.

‘Following the warning shots fired to disperse the stampede and after our forces had started retreating, several looters approached our forces and posed an immediate threat to them. According to the initial review, the soldiers responded toward several individuals,’ he said.

‘We have opened an inquiry to examine the incident further, which will help us reduce the risk of such a tragic incident from occurring again during one of our humanitarian operations,’ he said.

‘The incident will be examined in the fact finding and assessment mechanism, an independent, professional and expert body. For the sake of transparency we will share updates as our examination develops hopefully in the coming days.’

Hagari
did not give details on who specifically would be handling the inquiry.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

The Islamic Resistance issued the following statement: “The Islamic Resistance fighters targeted, at 6:45 am on Sunday, March 03, 2024, Jal Al-Allam site with a Burkan rocket, inflicting direct hits.”

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon

Amman: The number of securities registered with the Securities Depository Center (SDC) in February amounted to 7.6 billion securities, with a total value of JD20 billion.

Domestic holdings by Jordanians accounted for 5.1 billion securities with a total value of approximately JD11.1 billion, while the aggregate holdings of the top 10 foreign nationalities comprised about 1.7 billion securities, with an estimated market value of JD7 billion.

According to the SDC, Saudi Arabia topped shareholders, accounting for JD1.1 billion.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: Representing Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, Health Minister Firas Hawari on Sunday presided over a ceremony hosted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to announce the accreditation of Al-Bashir Hospitals by the Health Institutions Accreditation Council.

Al-Bashir Hospitals, including specialized units and the Laboratory Directorate, received accreditation, marking a significant milestone in Jordan’s healthcare.

Minister Hawari highlighted the government’s focus on healthcare, especially under His Majesty King Abdullah II’s leadership, emphasizing quality and patient safety. He praised Al-Bashir Hospitals’ commitment to enhancing care and thanked the US agency and donors for their support.

Ali Abdallat, Al-Bashir Hospitals’ Director, emphasized the hospital’s dedication to ongoing improvement, promising to enhance services and infrastructure.

Ruwaida Maaytah from the Health Institutions Accreditation Council commended Jordan’s healthcare standards and Al-Bashir Hospit
als’ pursuit of excellence.

Rabab Dhiyab, leading the accreditation project, outlined the hospital’s five-year journey toward accreditation, highlighting improvements in leadership and quality management.

Leslie Reed, USAID Mission Director, underscored the importance of Al-Bashir Hospitals in Jordan’s healthcare landscape and USAID’s commitment to supporting such initiatives.

The accreditation project, funded by USAID, reflects a collaborative effort between the Health Institutions Accreditation Council, Ministry of Health, and Al-Bashir Hospitals.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: France’s Ambassador to Jordan, Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison, said that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a priority for France, stressing the importance of stopping settler violence in the West Bank.

During his meeting with the Jordanian-French Friendship Committee of the Senate, chaired by Senator Issa Murad, on Sunday, Grandmaison spoke about his country’s support for the various resolutions presented to the United Nations since the beginning of the war on Gaza.

The ambassador of France reaffirmed that his nation would continue to provide financial support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). He expressed gratitude for Jordan’s outstanding efforts in providing medical, relief, and humanitarian aid into Gaza through airdrops, in which some of France took part.

Speaking on the depth of historical ties between the two friendly nations and their differences in a range of areas, the French ambassador lauded His Majesty King Abdullah II’s international stances on
the Palestinian issue and the Gaza War.

In addition to highlighting Jordan’s importance as a partner for France’s development and cooperative efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, he emphasized his nation’s support for the historic Hashemite custodianship of the Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem and the need for them to be preserved.

At the start of the discussion, Senator Murad stressed the significance of increasing Arab and international efforts to quickly and urgently achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

“In order to prevent Israel from carrying out its crimes of genocide against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the international community must take responsibility for its actions,” Murad underlined.

Murad commended His Majesty the King’s efforts to eliminate the dire humanitarian conditions that Gaza is experiencing as well as the King’s efforts to ensure that medical, relief, and humanitarian aid arrives in the Gaza Strip on a sustained basis.

Murad stresse
d the importance of maintaining coordination and communication between the French and Jordanian Senates and urged all nations to support UNRWA in order for it to fulfill its humanitarian mission of alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly those living in the Gaza Strip.

The committee’s members, for their part, encouraged France to step up aid to the Gaza Strip’s residents and to exert pressure on other nations to end the war there.

As a permanent member of the Security Council, they emphasized the significance of France’s involvement in relation to the Palestinian question, the war on Gaza, and the cessation of settlement construction.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Amman: Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh announced Sunday the official working hours for the holy month of Ramadan, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The announcement applies to all ministries, public institutions, universities, municipalities, and government-owned companies. Exceptions will be made for departments requiring different working hours, at the discretion of department heads.

Khasawneh emphasized the importance of respecting Ramadan’s sanctity and considering the needs of fasting individuals.

Source: Jordan News Agency