Two senior Hamas figures on Friday attended a funeral in Amman of a former spokesman of the militant group in a rare public visit to Jordan.
“Jordan is the strategic depth of our cause,” Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh told reporters after the funeral of Ibrahim Ghoshah.
Former Hamas head Khaled Meshaal also attended the funeral, held at a mosque near Jordan University.
Mr Meshaal lives in Qatar and remains influential in the group, while Mr Haniyeh lives in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Jordanian authorities did not comment on the visit, but the two men would have needed official permission to enter the country. Jordan expelled Mr Meshaal, along with the rest of Hamas, in the late 1990s.
While the visit does not necessarily mark a detente between Jordan and Hamas, it carries political significance in that the two men were allowed to mingle with hundreds of mourners and speak to media.
When Amman expelled the Iranian- and Qatari-backed group two decades ago, it accused it of undermining security in Jordan, which is a US ally.
Most western nations regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Hamas's “external leadership”, as opposed to Hamas leaders in Gaza, moved to Syria after expulsion from Jordan.
The group quietly left Syria for Qatar in late 2011, months after a revolt against five decades of Assad family rule broke out in March.
Sunni coreligionists of Hamas, some of whom were Palestinian refugees in Syria, bore the brunt of a regime crackdown against the revolt.
Jordan has kept channels open with Hamas and sent aid to the Gaza Strip after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May. The group has controlled Gaza since 2006.
Hundreds of Jordanians, mostly of Palestinian origin, attended the funeral of Ghoshah, who was in his 80s and lived in Amman.
“We sacrifice our blood, our soul for you, Hamas,” some shouted as Mr Meshaal and Mr Haniyeh left the mosque and departed in separate SUVs.
Although Mr Haniyeh is more senior by rank, a larger proportion of the crowd surrounded Mr Meshaal to greet him. Only a few people wore masks.
Known as Abu Al Waleed, Mr Meshaal studied physics in Kuwait and was one of Hamas’s founders, along with Ghoshah, in the 1980s.
“Abu Al Waleed, Abu Al Waleed,” dozens of people around his vehicle shouted as he left the mosque.
“Thank you, Jordan, thank you, dear King Abdullah,” Mr Meshaal said.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The BIO
Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.
Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.
Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Easter%20Sunday
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
