Ahlam Tamimi's Deportation Controversy Reflects U.S. Pressure and Jordan's Political Calculations

The case of released Palestinian prisoner Ahlam Tamimi has resurfaced, following reports from local media that Jordanian authorities have requested her to leave the country. 

Some outlets even suggested that she has been given the choice of either being deported or handed over to the United States.

Tamimi, a Jordanian citizen, is accused by “Israel” of orchestrating the 2001 bombing of the "Sauer Restaurant" in occupied Jerusalem, which killed 15 people, including two Americans. 

She was sentenced to life in prison by “Israel.”

However, Tamimi was freed as part of a prisoner exchange deal in October 2011, which also saw the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas. 

She was immediately deported to Jordan.

Born in 1980 in the Jordanian city of Zarqa, Tamimi left for the West Bank after completing her high school education, where she began studying journalism at Birzeit University. 

She became the first woman to join the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.

Conflicting Reports

While local and regional media outlets have reported that released Palestinian prisoner Ahlam Tamimi has been told to leave Jordan, a senior official in the country has denied these claims, calling the information "inaccurate."

On February 3, 2025, Jordan's Ammon news agency quoted an anonymous source stating that the Jordanian authorities had contacted Hamas, the movement to which Tamimi belongs, informing them that the freed prisoner must leave the country immediately.

At the same time, Alsaa reported that Tamimi, who works at a research center in the capital Amman, did not show up for work on that day.

According to the New Arab, citing sources on February 2, Jordan officially notified Hamas in Doha of its decision, offering the movement a choice: either find a place for Tamimi or face her being handed over to the United States.

The sources further indicated that "Jordan refuses to receive any of the freed prisoners with Jordanian nationality who were exiled under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel."

As part of the initial phase of the agreement, “Israel” released two prisoners holding Jordanian citizenship.

The newspaper also reported that Tamimi's family had long urged Hamas to raise her case in negotiations with “Israel,” especially since there are individuals with U.S. and Israeli citizenships being held by the movement.

This likely refers to the ongoing negotiations concerning the cessation of U.S. demands for her extradition.

Despite these reports calling for Tamimi’s immediate departure from Jordan, official authorities have not commented on the matter. 

The only response came from Jordan’s Parliament Speaker Ahmad Safadi on February 3, who dismissed the reports as "inaccurate," advising members not to pursue the topic further, saying “If we don’t open the issue, it’s better.”

In 2017, Jordan’s highest judicial authority, the Court of Cassation, upheld a decision by the Amman Court of Appeals refusing her extradition. 

This ruling followed a request from the U.S. Department of Justice for her extradition after the FBI placed her on its list of "most wanted terrorists" for her involvement in the 2001 bombing of the Israeli restaurant that killed two Americans.

In a similar case, Jordanian authorities previously deported Tamimi’s husband, Nizar, a fellow released prisoner in the 2011 swap, after refusing to renew his residency in 2020.

'Another Goal'

Meanwhile, Jordanian writer Bassam al-Badarin suggested that the controversy surrounding Tamimi serves as a political gauge or model to predict what could unfold later for a long list of Jordanians and Palestinians from Hamas, due to the U.S. terrorism lists.

In an article published by Alquds on February 3, al-Badarin noted that "Speaker Safadi appears to have previously explored the matter and dismissed these reports as inaccurate, a formulation that seeks to draw attention to the untruth of the claims about Tamimi's deportation."

However, al-Badarin contended that this approach does not necessarily rule out the possibility of her being asked to leave, suggesting that authorities might be seeking to avoid embarrassment by finding her an alternative destination.

According to the writer, "the Jordanian government is unlikely to issue an official statement clarifying the details, while Tamimi herself has not commented on the reports, and Hamas has ignored the issue for understandable reasons."

"The way in which the parliament briefly discussed Tamimi’s departure implies that Jordan may already have a list of individuals that U.S. federal authorities claim are wanted, either by them or by Israel."

"Authorities believe there are two lists of Jordanians from Hamas who are abroad, not in the occupied Palestinian territories."

The first list includes ordinary individuals who are not wanted by any foreign legal or judicial bodies, while the second includes Palestinian Hamas members who also hold Jordanian citizenship, yet remain out of the spotlight.

"What is most significant is that the sudden focus on Tamimi's case comes with expectations in local decision-making circles of an imminent confrontation under the new U.S. administration, led by Ronald Trump, aiming to remove Hamas from the equation in both Gaza and the West Bank," al-Badarin noted.

Al-Badarin argued that "one possible consequence of this scenario is that the Trump administration, upon transitioning to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, will focus on politically, financially, and legally targeting Hamas outside of the occupied Palestinian territories."

He noted that this could lead to a series of complications both in Jordan and elsewhere.

"The departure of Ahlam Tamimi, or others in a similar context, might become a preventive step to avoid embarrassment, especially when it involves Hamas members who have been under intense American scrutiny for years."

"There is a growing impression, even among politically engaged human rights circles, that a fierce American campaign may soon begin to harass members and sympathizers of Hamas, particularly in countries where there has been a noticeable impact and social support following the October 7, 2023, events," al-Badarin concluded.