Queen Rania Visits Hammoud Following Deadly Church Attack

Queen Rania of Jordan visited the village of Hammoud in the southern part of the country to express her condolences to the families affected by a recent mass shooting. Accompanied by her daughter Princess Salma and her daughter-in-law Princess Rajwa, the royal family members met directly with survivors and relatives of the victims of the tragedy.

The attack took place at Saint George's Church during a funeral ceremony, when an armed commando forced entry into the house of worship and opened fire on the attendees. According to local authorities, the assault resulted in nine fatalities and left dozens of individuals injured.

Queen Rania had previously spoken out publicly to show her solidarity with the impacted community, emphasizing that the suffering of the villagers belonged to the entire nation. During the visit, she offered comfort and embraces to the grieving families coping with the aftermath of the violence.

The funeral services for the victims drew a large crowd of mourners from various religious backgrounds, united in their grief. Alongside Queen Rania, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah Al-Hashimi and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad also attended the gatherings to personally offer their condolences.

Religious leaders from across the region strongly condemned the assault. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed sincere closeness to the Greek Orthodox community, praising the historical and national role of the Hashemite family in fostering moderation, tolerance, and the protection of religious freedom.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, along with members of the Holy Synod, condemned the attack as a cowardly and bloody act, asserting that the violence would not undermine national unity or the community's deep-rooted presence in the region. Other international religious authorities echoed these sentiments, calling for peace and the preservation of coexistence between Muslims and Christians in Jordan.