Jordan worried about West Bank rockets
Senior Palestinian source tells Ynet Palestinian president's surprise visit to Amman related to rocket launching attempts. According to source, Jordanians expressed their concern that northern West Bank will become new version of Strip. Abbas to reporters: Israel to blame for escalation
According to the source, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' surprise visit to Jordan is related to reports on the Palestinian organizations' attempt to launch rockets from the West Bank toward Israel, particularly the recent report on an attempt to fire a Qassam from Tulkarem on Saturday.
It is possible that information obtained by the Jordanians on the preparations of organizations in the area bordering Jordanian territory, led to the urgent dispatch of a Jordanian helicopter that took Abbas on Monday evening to Amman to meet with Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit and King Abdullah.
Abbas (L) and Abdullah. 'Fight phenomenon' (Photo: Reuters)
Abbas' visit to Jordan began before the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Islamic Jihad reported that they fired a rocket from Jenin toward Israel.
The senior Palestinian source said that the Jordanians wanted to brief Abbas on the information they obtained regarding the works for building the rocket alignment in the West Bank. The source added that the Jordanians possess information that elements in Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees are establishing the rocket infrastructure in the northern West Bank with the help of key Fatah members.
The Jordanians were also expected to give Abbas the name of a senior Fatah member from the Jenin area who is involved in the project and to talk the Palestinian president that the Palestinian security forces fight against the phenomenon, which may turn the northern West Bank into a new version of the Gaza Strip in terms of rockets.
The Jordanians also fear that the Jordanian border will become a new version of the Palestinian border with Sinai, which is overwhelmed by smugglings.
Abbas: Israel to blame for Gaza escalation
The source also told Ynet that the Jordanians will update Abbas regarding the seizing of a large sum of money in the Hashemite Kingdom that was earmarked for a Muslim Brotherhood charity fund; some of the money was supposed to be transferred to Hamas and its civil and military infrastructure.
It should be noted that some two months ago the Jordanians announced that they had seized a large arms shipment earmarked for Hamas, which was intended to help the organization carry out terror attacks on Jordanian soil. Hamas denied any involvement in the affair and accused Jordan of taking part in an international conspiracy aimed at bringing the Hamas-led government down.
The past two months have seen continuous Palestinian-Jordanian coordination regarding the West Bank. Jordan has publicly expressed its concern over the realignment plan, as it fears the vacuum that will be created in the West Bank with Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from the area will lead to anarchy that may affect the peace and stability that characterize the West Bank-Jordan border.
Meanwhile, Abbas blamed Israel for the escalation in Gaza.
“The Israelis are escalating the situation; they are attacking civilians on the one hand, and PA infrastructure on the other,” he told reporters in Amman following his meeting with the Jordanian PM.
The European Commission said Tuesday it has started delivering aid to Palestinian hospitals through an internationally backed plan that bypasses the Hamas-led government.
EU spokeswoman Emma Udwin said it was the first time the European Union was using the special aid plan. The funds are to go toward the purchase of fuel for emergency generators at hospitals, Udwin said. The IDF opened the Erez crossing for a few hours to allow the transfer of goods and humanitarian aid to the Strip.
