Jordan Government Vows to Confront Attempts to Stir Instability

Jordan Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad. Muhammad Hamed/ Reuters
Jordan Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad. Muhammad Hamed/ Reuters
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Jordan Government Vows to Confront Attempts to Stir Instability

Jordan Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad. Muhammad Hamed/ Reuters
Jordan Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad. Muhammad Hamed/ Reuters

Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh has asserted that the government will fight against anyone who triggers instability and tension in the country.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Adaileh commented on the chaos that followed a protest for teachers in Karak (in the south of the country). The chaos led to the injury of seven and the arrest of around 48 people.

The minister stressed that the government won’t go easy with anyone who offends the security guards and relevant bodies as they perform their tasks. Any financial, partisan, or syndicate demand won’t be fulfilled using this attitude but through dialogue and acceptance of others, he stressed.

Adaileh further noted that there are some practices that contradict with the precautionary measures such as gatherings, as well as holding weddings and funerals. For this, the government and the administrative governors will join efforts to handle the violations strictly.

Moreover, Jordan Minister of Interior Salameh Hammad affirmed Tuesday that the government will never tolerate violence against security personnel on their duty. Hammad condemned the incident in Karak, during which police officers were attacked while on their official duty, as "unacceptable".

He explained that the protest that took place this evening in Karak was not limited to teachers, but witnessed the participation of two political parties, activists, and some young people who were "deceived" by them.

The country has been witnessing stands by teachers in several provinces demanding abolishing the decision to shut down the syndicate and releasing those arrested – amid a campaign of mass arrests of activists and heads of syndicate branches.



Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Palestinians in Jenin Observe a General Strike

A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A Palestinian police officer attempts to disperse demonstrators during a protest against clashes between Palestinian security forces and militants in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Palestinians in the volatile northern West Bank town of Jenin are observing a general strike called by militant groups to protest a rare crackdown by Palestinian security forces.
An Associated Press reporter in Jenin heard gunfire and explosions, apparently from clashes between militants and Palestinian security forces. It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded. There was no sign of Israeli troops in the area.
Shops were closed in the city on Monday, the day after militants killed a member of the Palestinian security forces and wounded two others.
Militant groups called for a general strike across the territory, accusing the security forces of trying to disarm them in support of Israel’s half-century occupation of the territory.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority is internationally recognized but deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. Israel accuses the authority of incitement and of failing to act against armed groups.
The Palestinian Authority blamed Sunday’s attack on “outlaws.” It says it is committed to maintaining law and order but will not police the occupation.
The Palestinian Authority exercises limited authority in population centers in the West Bank. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 Mideast War, and the Palestinians want it to form the main part of their future state.
Israel’s current government is opposed to Palestinian statehood and says it will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Violence has soared in the West Bank following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza, which ignited the war there.