Jordanian, Palestinian ministers discuss cultural cooperation amid Gaza crisis

Jordanian Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh met with his Palestinian counterpart Imad Hamdan on Sunday at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman to discuss strengthening cultural cooperation and preserving shared heritage. (Jordan News Agency)
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Updated 07 September 2025
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Jordanian, Palestinian ministers discuss cultural cooperation amid Gaza crisis

  • Rawashdeh highlighted King Abdullah II’s leadership in defending the Palestinian cause

AMMAN: Jordanian Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh met with his Palestinian counterpart Imad Hamdan on Sunday at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman to discuss strengthening cultural cooperation and preserving shared heritage, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Rawashdeh highlighted King Abdullah II’s leadership in defending the Palestinian cause and efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, stressing Jordan’s readiness to support Palestinian cultural resilience against attempts by Israeli occupation authorities to erase it.

Hamdan commended the king’s role in safeguarding Islamic and Christian holy sites under the Hashemite Custodianship in Jerusalem and noted Jordan’s humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.

He described the blockade and war as “human and cultural genocide,” displacing intellectuals and artists, and said his ministry is building a database to preserve Palestinian culture despite limited resources.

Hamdan also proposed hosting an Arab and international cultural conference in Amman to address the cultural impact of the war on Palestine.

Ministry Secretary-General Nidal Ayasrah highlighted ongoing cooperation, including training Palestinians in archiving and documentation at the Jordanian National Library.

He pointed to the library’s extensive records on Jordanian-Palestinian ties, Jordan’s restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and joint efforts to safeguard Palestinian heritage.


Hamas says will give up arms to a Palestinian authority ‘if occupation ends’

Updated 07 December 2025
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Hamas says will give up arms to a Palestinian authority ‘if occupation ends’

  • “We accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force, tasked with monitoring the borders and ensuring compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza,” Hayya says

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas said Saturday it was ready to hand over its weapons in the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian authority governing the territory on the condition that the Israeli army’s occupation ends.
“Our weapons are linked to the existence of the occupation and the aggression,” Hamas chief negotiator and its Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said in a statement, adding: “If the occupation ends, these weapons will be placed under the authority of the state.” Asked by AFP, Hayya’s bureau said he was referring to a sovereign and independent Palestnian state.
“We accept the deployment of UN forces as a separation force, tasked with monitoring the borders and ensuring compliance with the ceasefire in Gaza,” Hayya added, signalling his group’s rejection of the deployment of an international force in the Strip whose mission would be to disarm it.