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Island of Peace massacre

1990s murders in Jordan1997 crimes in Jordan1997 in Jordan1997 murders in AsiaIncidents of violence against girls
Israel–Jordan borderIsrael–Jordan relationsMarch 1997 crimesMarch 1997 events in AsiaMass murder in 1997Massacres in 1997Massacres in JordanMassacres of womenMurder in JordanTerrorist incidents in Asia in 1997Terrorist incidents in Israel in 1997Terrorist incidents in JordanTerrorist incidents in Jordan in the 1990sViolence against women in Jordan
PikiWiki Israel 5242 Peace Island Naharayim
PikiWiki Israel 5242 Peace Island Naharayim

The Island of Peace massacre was a high-profile shooting attack that took place on 13 March 1997, when a Jordanian soldier opened fire on a group of young Israeli schoolgirls and their teacher at the Island of Peace. Seven of the girls were killed, while five more and the teacher were injured; all of the girls in the group were aged 13–14. The perpetrator of the attack was Ahmad Daqamseh, a corporal serving in the Royal Jordanian Army. He had been stationed at the international border between Jordan and Israel, and encountered the girls while they were visiting Jordan's Island of Peace as part of a field trip from their AMIT school in the city of Beit Shemesh. Shortly after the attack began, Daqamseh's M16 rifle jammed and he was subdued by nearby Jordanian soldiers, who then rushed to help the victims. Daqamseh was arrested and later diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder by a Jordanian medical team. He was tried and convicted by a five-member military tribunal, which sentenced him to 20 years in prison with hard labour. Shortly after the attack, Jordanian king Hussein bin Talal personally visited the families of the victims and offered his condolences. His trip was seen as a sincere and unusual act in the history of the Arab–Israeli conflict, deeply moving the mourning Israeli public and helping to further improve the relationship between the two countries in light of the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty. Several Jordanians reacted positively to the attack; Daqamseh was called a "hero" by Jordanian politician Hussein Mjalli, and in 2013, a petition began to circulate in the Parliament of Jordan, as the overwhelming majority of MPs (110/120) alleged that he had finished his sentence and advocated his release. Nonetheless, Daqamseh served his sentence in full, being released on 12 March 2017. His family expressed pride for his actions and Daqamseh himself showed no signs of remorse, having told Jordanian interrogators in prison that he would have killed all of the girls had his M16 not jammed halfway through.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Island of Peace massacre (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Island of Peace massacre
Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council

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Wikipedia: Island of Peace massacreContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 32.640555555556 ° E 35.566666666667 °
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1515700 Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council
North District, Israel
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PikiWiki Israel 5242 Peace Island Naharayim
PikiWiki Israel 5242 Peace Island Naharayim
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Naharayim
Naharayim

Naharayim (Hebrew: נַהֲרַיִים literally "Two rivers"), historically the Jisr Majami area (Arabic: جسر المجامع literally "Meeting bridge" area), is the area where the Yarmouk River flows into the Jordan River. It was the site of the "First Jordan Hydro-Electric Power House", constructed between 1927–33, and located near an ancient Roman bridge known as Jisr Majami. The site was named by the Palestine Electric Company which assigned "proper names" to the "different quarters of our Jordan Works", one of these being the "works as a whole including the labour camp" to be called "Naharaim", and another being the site of the "Power House and the adjoining staff quarters, offices" to be called Tel Or (Hebrew: תל אור - Hill of Light). Most of the plant was situated in the Emirate of Transjordan and stretched from the northern canal near the Ashdot Ya'akov in Northern Mandatory Palestine to the Jisr el-Majami in the south. The plant, now no longer in use, was built by Pinhas Rutenberg. It produced much of the energy consumed in Mandatory Palestine, until the 1948 Palestine war. The channels and dams built for the power plant, together with the two rivers, formed a man-made island. The residential area is known today as Qaryet Jisr Al-Majame (Arabic: قرية جسر المجامع - Community Bridge Village). The 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty recognized part of the area – known as the Naharayim/Baqura Area in the treaty or, according to the map annexed to the treaty and authenticated by both Israel and Jordan, the Baqura/Naharayim area – to be under Jordanian sovereignty, but leased Israeli landowners freedom of entry. The 25-year renewable lease ended in 2019. The Jordanian government announced its intention to end the lease; the treaty gives Jordan the right to do so only on one condition – that one year prior notice is given, which coincided with the announcement in October 2018. Jordan reclaimed Al-Baqoura in November 2019 after a one-year notice of termination submitted by the Jordanian government.