A leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement, Ibrahim Ghoshe, entered Jordan on Saturday under a deal authorizing his return from a long period of exile, a senior official told AFP.
"Mr. Ghoshe is currently at his home," the official said, without providing further details.
Ghoshe, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, had flown into Amman unexpectedly from his exile in Doha on June 14, in defiance of a government decision in November 1999 to outlaw Hamas activity in Jordan.
Jordan accepted his return after he agreed in a written message to freeze all political activities in his capacity as Hamas spokesman, without giving up his membership in the Palestinian resistance group.
"Mr. Ghoshe sent the Jordanian government a hand-written document in which he pledges to freeze all political, media and organizational activity within Hamas," Jordanian Information Minister Saleh Qallab said on Friday.
He said he expected Ghoshe to return "within 48 hours.”
Government officials said Jordan's King Abdullah instructed the government to allow Ghoshe's return to Amman "where he will be able to live as an ordinary citizen,” according to the agency.
A text of the message received by AFP in Amman and bearing the signature of Ghoshe said that the Hamas leader had left for Thailand "of his own desire" and hoped to return to Jordan in a few days.
"I have left of my own desire to Bangkok and I hope to return to beloved Jordan, God willing, in a few days and I will freeze my political activity in Hamas," said the message in Arabic which was dated Thursday.
In his message, Ghoshe also thanks Jordan's King Abdullah "for having instructed the government to end this crisis."
Qallab earlier said Ghoshe had left early Thursday for Bangkok after being stranded for two weeks at Queen Alia Airport amid Jordan's refusal to let him into the country.
A Jordanian official source confirmed for Albawaba.com that Ghoshe, denied entry into the kingdom after his sudden return from exile, on Thursday left Jordan "of his free will for a third country, which later turned out to be Thailand."
Hamas politburo head Khaled Mishaal said that his group and the Jordanian government agreed on Wednesday that Ghoshe was to leave for Yemen, before coming back home under the agreement, but the group “was surprised when news said he was heading for Bangkok.”
Meanwhile, the Qatari plane, which had been grounded in the airport since arriving with Ghoshe, was allowed to fly back home, reported Al Jazeera satellite channel.
But according to AFP on Friday, Qatar Airways called Thursday for official word from Jordan authorizing the return of the plane.
In a statement quoted by the official QNA agency, the airline said it had not received "official notification of the release of the plane and its crew."
"We will not go ahead with the slightest move until we receive official written notice from the Jordanian authorities," it said.
The fate of the aircraft and its crew had developed into a diplomatic row between Qatar and Jordan – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
