Amman condemns 'barbaric' Israeli killing of Jordanian national

The Jordanian foreign ministry on Saturday condemned the "barbaric" killing of 28-year-old Jordanian national Saeed Amro in Jerusalem on Friday, and questioned the Israeli account of the circumstances that led his death.

Israeli police in a statement on Friday said Amro was shot dead by its forces after he attempted to stab a police officer near the Damascus Gate, in occupied East Jerusalem.

However, foreign ministry spokeswoman Sabah al-Rafie cast doubt on the Israeli version of events, saying that even the Israeli statement mentions that Amro did not hurt any Israeli soldiers or police officers in the alleged incident.

"The Jordanian government is following the case to uncover all the details," Rafie said in statement.

"It [the Government] is also taking steps to repatriate the body of the martyr to his family, so that the government can take the legal and diplomatic procedures that are common in such cases," the statement added.

Amro had entered the Palestinian territories with a tourist group on Thursday to visit Jerusalem.

Eyewitnesses in Jerusalem had told The New Arab on Friday that Israeli troops "shot a hail of bullets at the young man [Amro] who was walking close to the city’s Damascus Gate, and left him to bleed on the ground for a long time".

Israeli police and soldiers then closed the area off and did not allow Palestinians near the scene, the sources added.

Meanwhile, in Amro’s hometown of Karak, south of Jordan, angry residents protested the government’s late reaction to the killing.

Amro’s family had announced late on Friday that they will not accept any condolences or receive mourners until his body is repatriated and the details of his killing are made clear.

In addition to Amro, Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians since Thursday night, claiming they had been carrying out attacks.