Jordan asks Hamas to remove Ahlam Tamimi from the kingdom to avoid extradition to U.S

Jordan has asked Hamas to transfer Ahlam Tamimi, a citizen previously convicted by Israeli authorities over the 2001 bombing of a Jerusalem pizzeria out of the kingdom's territory, otherwise, Amman will extradite her to the United States, informed sources have told our Arabic edition.

Hamas's branch in Qatar has been officially told Tamimi must be transferred outside Jordan otherwise Amman will be forced to hand her over to Washington, according to the same sources. 

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's report has sparked a debate in Jordan's parliament, with MPs demanding clarifications from the government, which has yet to officially comment on the news.

Jordan's parliament speaker Ahmed al-Safadi claimed the reports that Amman had ordered the immediate deportation of Tamimi were "not accurate" and promised to follow up on the matter, urging MPs to be patient.

Responding to a question from MP Ahmad al-Raqab in a session on Monday, Al-Safadi said: "We have followed up on this matter, and it turns out that these reports are not accurate. We will keep you informed as updates come in. It's better not to open this topic further."

In Monday's parliamentary session, Islamic Action Front MP Yanal Freihat also urged the house to hold a session to discuss US President Donald Trump's recent remarks that Palestinians should be expelled to Jordan or Egypt.

Freihat warned that "the nation is in danger, and the parliament must play its required role, gain public trust, and support His Majesty the King’s stance against [Palestinian] displacement."

Tamimi, a Palestinian-Jordanian, is the first woman to have joined the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. She was sentenced to 16 life terms for her role in the August 2001 bombing of a Sbarro pizzeria which killed 15 people, including two US nationals.

Tamimi was freed in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, however became the subject of US Justice Department criminal charges two years later.

In 2017, The first Trump administration formally requested Tamimi's extradition from Jordan.

Jordan previously refused to extradite Tamimi, citing the fact that parliament has not yet ratified an extradition treaty signed between the two allied nations. 

King Abdullah II of Jordan is set to meet President Trump in Washington D.C. next week.

This article is based on a report from The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.