AMMAN (JT) — A group of Palestinian officials are currently in Amman to tackle the issue of arms smuggled recently by some Hamas members into Jordan, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday. “We are following up on the matter,” Abbas was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as telling reporters after a meeting with King Abdullah. “We pledged to dispatch a follow-up committee, and some members of this panel are currently in Amman to address the problem.” Last month, Abbas said he planned to send a “security delegation” to Jordan, after authorities seized a weapons cache and arrested Hamas elements, who plotted to carry out attacks on officials and other targets in the country on orders from a Hamas Syria-based leader. Abbas was quoted then as saying that this was “dangerous and surprising,” adding that the affair had “serious repercussions for the security and stability of Jordan.” Hamas denied any involvement.
During the meeting, King Abdullah told Abbas that Jordan will invest its relations with the international community to find effective means to ensure aid to the Palestinians. Jordan sent 18,000 tonnes of medicines, medical equipment and food items as well as 30 ambulances to the Palestinians. International donors, led by the US, halted direct aid because the Hamas-led government refuses to recognise Israel.
The King said Jordan and Egypt will work at the international level to help resume the peace process and build trust between the Palestinians and Israelis. Jordan and Egypt on Saturday said they wanted to cooperate with the incoming Israeli government to help resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians and preempt Israeli unilateral moves. Israeli Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert said he sought to set the Jewish state's borders unilaterally if no basis can be found for negotiations with the Palestinians.