Albawaba.com - Amman
A Jordanian official source has told Albawaba.com that Hamas leader Ibrahim 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.”
The official source told Albawaba.com that a government statement would be issued soon explaining Amman’s position on the development.
AFP had reported the departure, quoting a senior official as saying that Ghoshe flew out of Queen Alia Airport on Thursday for Bangkok after a two-week week standoff.
"Ibrahim Ghoshe flew out of Jordan for Bangkok," the official told the agency on condition of anonymity.
But Al Jazeera said Ghoshe’s destination was “definitely” Yemen.
But reports later said he was on his way to Sanaa, quoting Yemeni officials.
A Hamas leader in Gaza said that his group had called Yemeni authorities, who declined to confirm they had arranged to host the 65-year-old Islamist.
And Hamas politburi head Khaled Mishaal told Albawaba.com that they were not sure where Ghoshe was.
Ghoshe's lawyer, Saleh Armouti, also confirmed his departure, saying Bangkok was the strongest possibility, echoing a Hamas statement issued Wednesday night.
In a statement to Albawaba.com, Armouti contradicted the Jordanian official’s statement that Ghoshe had left of his own free will, charging that his client was “deported against his will.”
He said that “the party behind his deportation will take full responsibility for any consequences.”
Asked to elaborate, Armouti said that the ailing spokesman was vulnerable to an assassination attempt by the Israeli Mossad in Thailand.
Meanwhile, the Qatari plane, which had been grounded in the airport since arriving with Ghoshe, has been allowed to fly back home, reported Al Jazeera satellite channel.
Ghoshe, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, flew 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.
Yemen had been mediating in the ensuing crisis, which also embroiled Qatar, Ghoshe's host country since November 1999.
Yemen had agreed to welcome the Hamas leader in its territory, but he declined the offer, the official said.
On Wednesday, Jordanian Information Minister Saleh Qallab said Jordan would continue to deny Ghoshe entry into the kingdom unless he agreed in writing to renounce all links to Hamas.
"Ibrahim Ghoshe will not enter Jordan as long as he does not resign from his post as spokesman of Hamas and relinquish his membership in the movement's political bureau," Qallab told AFP.
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