Foreign Minister Holds Onto Jordan's Initiative on Syrian Crisis

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi (Reuters)
Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi (Reuters)
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Foreign Minister Holds Onto Jordan's Initiative on Syrian Crisis

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi (Reuters)
Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi (Reuters)

Jordan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi, affirmed his country's ongoing efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis through the Jordanian initiative.

Safadi explained that Jordan's efforts stem from the direct Arab role of engaging with Syria in a political dialogue to solve the crisis and its security and political ramifications.

The foreign minister met with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, and affirmed Jordan's full coordination with the UN regarding the initiative and sharing its details with international organizations.

They also addressed coordinating efforts to provide humanitarian aid after the devastating earthquakes that struck Syria and Türkiye.

Safadi indicated that the meeting discussed the initiative based on direct Arab coordination and engagement and its launch date with the aim of serious Arab action to resolve the Syrian crisis.

The crisis in Syria must not continue, and the political solution is the key to ending it, said Safadi, adding that as Arab countries, they must be at the forefront of the dialogue, and the repercussions of the crisis affect all.

He reiterated Jordan's support for the efforts of the UN envoy to reach a political solution to the crisis under Security Council Resolution 2254.

Pedersen reviewed the UN efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis in Syria, stressing the importance of continued cooperation between the Kingdom and the UN.

He praised the great humanitarian role of the Kingdom in providing aid to Syria after the recent earthquakes, hosting Syrian refugees, and providing them with a decent life.

In a separate meeting, Safadi discussed with Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN Martin Griffiths the situation in Syria, the ongoing cooperation in helping Syrians following the recent earthquakes, and the challenges resulting from the decline in international support for Syrian refugees and the host countries.

Safadi stressed that Jordan continues to help Syria and Türkiye cope with the consequences of the recent earthquakes that struck the two countries last February, underscoring that Amman would continue to send aid to the two countries.

Griffiths commended the Kingdom's efforts in hosting refugees and assisting those affected by earthquakes.



Palestinian Women Share Harsh Conditions they Experienced in Israeli Prisons

Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
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Palestinian Women Share Harsh Conditions they Experienced in Israeli Prisons

Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)

In the days before the release of Israeli and Palestinian female detainees as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, their treatment at detention centers became a key message.

The condition of Palestinian detainees shocked their families, with reports of mistreatment and forced hunger and thirst, especially just before their release.

Israel appeared to send a message of power to the Palestinians, showing control over their fate. At the same time, it was clear that Israel was frustrated with the deal, which it had reluctantly agreed to under pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump.

A week before the ceasefire deal in Gaza began, Israel’s prison service cut off female detainees from the outside world, leaving them without news, according to released prisoner Yasmin Abu Surour, 27, who spoke from her home in the Dheisha Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem.

Abu Surour, who had been arrested multiple times, including on December 26, 2023, when she was placed in administrative detention, described how Israeli authorities kept the detainees in the dark.

“For a week, we had no news. Even on Sunday morning, we weren't sure it was our day of freedom,” she said. Inside the prisons, conditions were “extremely tough,” with detainees facing hunger, abuse, and medical neglect.

Amal Shujaia, 22, a university student from Deir Jarir near Ramallah, who had been detained for seven months, shared similar experiences.

“We faced daily abuse, confiscation of belongings, freezing cold, and shortages of food and medicine. We also experienced violations of privacy, like forced strip searches. It was not just hard, it was intentionally cruel and degrading,” she said.

The freed Palestinian prisoners said they were not told they would be part of the exchange deal until hours before their release on Sunday.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, Israel released 96 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three Israeli women held by Hamas.

Israel currently holds over 10,400 Palestinian prisoners, not including 1,500 from Gaza under direct military custody. The second release will take place on Saturday, with weekly releases continuing for 42 days.