Qatar, Jordan condemn Israeli bombing of Hamad Hospital in Gaza

AMMAN: Representatives of the Jordanian Businessmen Association met a senior government delegation from Wales on Monday to explore ways of strengthening trade and investment ties between the countries.

The delegates included the business association’s secretary-general, Abdul Rahim Baqaei, and officials from the Welsh government’s Middle East and North Africa office, including its deputy director, Phil Taylor, and Sarah Taylor, head of its regional office in Dubai.

The discussions focused on ways to boost commercial exchanges, promote private-sector collaborations, and expand opportunities for joint ventures across key industries, the Jordan News Agency reported, and delegates agreed to identify new areas for economic cooperation.

Baqaei said it was important to maintain regular discussions to help identify sectors with high potential and enhance business engagement. He highlighted in particular the role of the Jordanian-Welsh Business Council, established in 2024 in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Wales, in efforts to facilitate cooperation between the nations’ business communities.

He also called for greater collaboration with British universities and companies, stressing the role strategic partnerships can play in accelerating Jordan’s economic development and technological progress. He highlighted recent government incentives designed to attract foreign investment, particularly in the services sector, including tax breaks and streamlined business procedures.

Sarah Taylor reaffirmed the commitment of Welsh authorities to the development of strengthened ties with the private sector in Jordan and increased British investment in the country.

She noted the untapped potential of sectors in which Jordan holds a competitive edge, particularly in the services sector, and said the Welsh government’s regional office stands ready to support bilateral engagement.

Her office will assist the work of the Jordanian Businessmen Association, she added, through the facilitation of direct business-to-business meetings and the provision of market intelligence to help Jordanian companies access opportunities in Wales.

LONDON: Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike overnight in a school-turned-humanitarian shelter in the central Gaza Strip after Israel launched an extensive military operation to occupy the coastal enclave.

Medical sources reported that at least five people were killed and several others injured, mostly children, in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Hasayna School, which had been converted into a shelter for displaced families.

The school west of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza has stopped offering full-time education, and it belongs to the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which was spared from extensive destruction or damage from the war.

According to Wafa news agency, 28 Palestinians have been killed due to Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn on Monday, including 16 in Khan Yunis.

Since late 2023, the war in Gaza has displaced around 1.9 million Palestinians — about 90 percent of the population — with many facing multiple displacements. According to a UN report, schools have suffered severe damage due to Israeli actions, with 501 out of 564 schools requiring either full reconstruction or significant rehabilitation to be functional again.

In early May, an Israeli airstrike targeted a UN-run school in Al-Bureij, central Gaza, killing at least 30 people who were sheltering there. The facility had accommodated 2,000 displaced individuals.