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9 Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Killed in Israeli Strikes are Buried in Damascus

Syrian security forces and civilians inspect the scene of an airstrike in the Al-Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, 14 November 2024. EPA/STRINGER
Syrian security forces and civilians inspect the scene of an airstrike in the Al-Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, 14 November 2024. EPA/STRINGER
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9 Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Killed in Israeli Strikes are Buried in Damascus

Syrian security forces and civilians inspect the scene of an airstrike in the Al-Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, 14 November 2024. EPA/STRINGER
Syrian security forces and civilians inspect the scene of an airstrike in the Al-Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, 14 November 2024. EPA/STRINGER

Nine members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group who were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Damascus were buried Monday in the Syrian capital.
Women in the crowd wept as the dead were transported to the Yarmouk cemetery in the Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus. Some held images of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli strikes on Thursday targeted two buildings with the offices of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, killing 15 people, including Syrian civilians, and wounding 20 others, officials said.
The funeral on Monday was held for the nine Islamic Jihad members, including two high-ranking officials — commander Abdel Aziz Saeed Minawi and Rasmi Youssef Abu Issa, who was in charge of the group's Arab affairs.
The wife of Ali Kabalan, a 44-year-old fighter who was killed Thursday, told The Associated Press that while the loss was unbearable, she and their five children were “proud” that he died “a martyr for the cause of Palestine’s liberation.”
The Israeli military claimed the strikes dealt significant damage to its group’s leadership. Israel has accused the Islamic Jihad, alongside Hamas, of coordinating the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel that ignited the ongoing war.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria targeting members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and officials from Iranian-backed groups.

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King Abdullah II Inaugurates 20th Parliament’s Session, Emphasizes Just Peace

The Jordanian monarch opens the first parliamentary session of the 20th House of Representatives. (Reuters)
The Jordanian monarch opens the first parliamentary session of the 20th House of Representatives. (Reuters)
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King Abdullah II Inaugurates 20th Parliament’s Session, Emphasizes Just Peace

The Jordanian monarch opens the first parliamentary session of the 20th House of Representatives. (Reuters)
The Jordanian monarch opens the first parliamentary session of the 20th House of Representatives. (Reuters)

Jordan’s King Abdullah II affirmed that the country’s future “will not be subject to policies that do not align with its interests or deviate from its principles,” describing Jordan as “a nation with a steadfast identity, committed to preserving its Hashemite heritage and Arab and human values.”
The king made these remarks on Monday during the opening of the first parliamentary session of the 20th House of Representatives, following elections held on September 10.
King Abdullah emphasized that a just and honorable peace is “the only path to rectifying the historical injustice against the Palestinian people.”
He reiterated Jordan’s unwavering stance on restoring Palestinians’ full rights and ensuring security for all, despite the obstacles posed by “extremists who oppose peace”—a pointed reference to the hardline policies of the Israeli government.
The king declared that Jordan “stands firmly against aggression in Gaza and Israeli violations in the West Bank,” and is actively engaged in Arab and international efforts to halt the war. He highlighted his country’s significant humanitarian role, noting that Jordanians “were the first to deliver aid by air and land to the people of Gaza, and we will continue to support them, now and in the future.”
In a single round of voting, former Speaker Ahmed Al-Safadi secured the presidency of the House of Representatives, garnering 98 votes out of 137 attendees. His victory was achieved through a coalition of parliamentary blocs, including Mithaq, Irada, National Islamic, Azm, and Taqaddum, marking a parliamentary precedent with significant party bloc influence.
Out of the 20th House of Representatives’ 116 party-affiliated deputies—distributed across 12 parties—86% of the total seats are now held by party members. This unprecedented figure follows reforms in the electoral law, which reserved 41 seats for national party lists while the remaining 97 were contested in local constituencies.
The new parliament is expected to address significant legislative and political challenges, including debating the government’s policy statement, discussing the 2025 general budget, and amending controversial laws such as local governance, labor, and social security.
Observers anticipate heated parliamentary sessions, particularly with the presence of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) bloc, which secured over half a million votes in the elections. The party’s influence is expected to pressure the government on key issues, including the Palestinian cause, protecting Jordan from the risks posed by Israeli extremism, and potentially repealing the Jordan-Israel peace treaty.