Jordan: Authorities arrest relatives of those who shot Israeli soldiers in the Dead Sea attack

Jordan Authorities arrest several relatives of two men behind a cross-border crossing shooting attack Two people were injured near the Dead Sea earlier this month Israel soldiers.

The families of Amer Qawas and Hussam Abu Ghazaleh, who were killed in the attack, are calling for the release of their detained friends and family members.

A member of Abu Ghazaleh’s family told Middle East Eye that about 10 of the deceased’s friends were arrested in the northern Hashemite district of Amman. He added that representatives of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the largest opposition party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, were not allowed to visit detainees.

According to their lawyer, Abd al-Qader al-Khatib, eight people have been detained and interrogated without charge by the General Intelligence Directorate since October 18.

“I requested to visit the detainees a few days ago, but it was rejected,” Al-Khatib said. “It is unfair for them to be detained without any charges. They should have been heard and released, and they should not have been held for more than a week without a legal basis, contrary to the constitution and the law.”

Qawas and Abu Ghazaleh crossed the Jordanian border on October 18, clashed with Israeli forces and were subsequently shot dead. The Israeli army reported that two soldiers were injured in the attack in Neot HaKikar, located approximately 3 kilometers south of the Dead Sea, and that they “neutralized” the attackers.

A Jordanian official told MEE that “security matters are being investigated” but was unable to comment further. “It is up to the judiciary to decide whether any charges are necessary, and Jordanian law and constitution guarantee this,” he said.

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Security expert Dr., a former brigadier general in the General Intelligence Agency. Omar al-Raddad emphasized that those close to the attackers should be investigated. He pointed out the differences between this incident and the earlier attack by the Jordanians. Maher al-JaziHe shot and killed three Israelis near the Allenby Bridge border crossing in September.

“The attack at the Dead Sea is different; Raddad stated that they recorded wills before the attack and that they were affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which they also supported. He stated that Al-Jazi acted alone, although he left a letter explaining that it was due to Israel’s ongoing actions against Palestinians in Gaza.

The IAF praised Qawas and Abu Ghazala’s Dead Sea attack and called on the government to “reconsider its dealings with the Zionist enemy”.

However, the incident was described as a “heroic but individual act”, stating that it was a response from young Jordanians who “could not bear to witness the brutal scenes of Zionist persecution”.

However, Raddad said the IAF leadership must provide “answers and explanations” about whether there are groups within the party that support military actions against Israel and possibly coordinate with Hamas and Iran.

Call to collect bodies

Meanwhile, Jordanian activists are calling on authorities to take back the bodies of Abu Ghazaleh and Qawas, which are currently in Israeli hands.

An online campaign under the hashtag #ReturnOurSonsBodies gained traction; Participants argued that keeping the bodies was against international law and called on the government to ensure families could mourn properly and bury their sons.

Hussam’s father, Hussein Abu Ghazaleh, told MEE: “We have taken steps to request the return of our sons’ remains and are in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and several MPs who have promised to follow up.”

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Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Jordanian leaders have managed rising anti-Israeli sentiment while maintaining bilateral relations with Israel.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza, Jordanian leaders have had to walk a fine line between growing anti-Israeli sentiment in the country and securing bilateral relations with Israel.

The country has a large population descended from Palestinian refugees who were forced to flee historic Palestine following the mass deportations commonly known as the Nakba, and regularly sees mass protests in support of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza.

At the same time, the Jordanian government has not made any significant changes in its diplomatic relations with Israel, and commercial relations between the two countries continue as normal.

After Iran launched missile salvoes against Israel in April and October, Jordanian armed forces’ involvement in attempts to shoot down missiles flying over Jordanian territory sparked criticism within the country.