Jordan’s king and queen receive 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi

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Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania, received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. (WAM)
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Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania, received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity. (WAM)
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Updated 27 February 2022
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Jordan’s king and queen receive 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi

  • The ceremony was held at the Founders Memorial in the UAE capital
  • The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis congratulated them in pre-recorded messages

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II and his wife, Queen Rania, on Saturday received the 2022 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity at a ceremony at the Founders Memorial in the UAE capital, Emirati news agency WAM reported.
The award, presented during a ceremony in Abu Dhabi that was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi, was “granted in appreciation of their efforts to promote human fraternity, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.”
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb congratulated the king and queen, and said the two were role models for fraternity and coexistence, in a recorded video message played during the ceremony.

In a separate recorded message, Pope Francis praised their “commitment to promoting the values of coexistence and dialogue between different religious traditions,” in fighting discrimination, and empowering women and the youth, the WAM statement said.
The award, which was also was also presented to Haitian humanitarian organization FOKAL. is organized by the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, an independent international committee to promote human fraternity values in communities around the world, in line with the Document on Human Fraternity, signed by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi in 2019.


Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares. (AP)
Updated 9 sec ago
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Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

  • Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. 
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. 
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.