Up to 5,000 Syrians have sought refuge in Jordan over the past week from the bloodshed in their country, in a possible prelude to a large-scale influx, the U.N. refugee agency said on Thursday.

"Around 4,000 to 5,000 have crossed the borders this week, which is a large number," the UNHCR representative in Jordan, Andrew Harper, told Agence France Presse. "More and more people are likely to be coming to the kingdom."

Fifteen people were detained on Thursday after attacking Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh's motorcade with tomatoes during a visit to the northern city of Irbid, police said.

"The fifteen people were detained after they tried to prevent the prime minister's motorcade from passing through a main road in Irbid, and hurled tomatoes on his cars," police spokesman Mohammed Khatib told Agence France Presse.

Italy on Tuesday dispatched a field hospital to Jordan to help treats tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled violence in their country.

The hospital will be set up in the northern city of Mafraq near the border "to provide health care to displaced persons in Jordan from Syria and to local communities that host them," an Italian embassy statement said.

Jordan is trying to woo the powerful Muslim Brotherhood after it gained more ground following the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as Egypt's first civilian president, analysts said on Monday.

Urging opposition Islamists to take part in early elections this year, King Abdullah II on Thursday ordered parliament to amend a controversial electoral law after they threatened to boycott the polls.

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday called on opposition parties, particularly the Islamists, to take part in general elections later this year after they threatened to boycott the polls.

Both official media and an opposition group on Sunday branded as a failure a world powers deal on a transition plan for Syria a day after more than 80 people were reported killed in violence nationwide.

World powers meeting in Geneva on Saturday agreed a transition plan that could include current regime members, but the West did not see any role for President Bashar Assad in a new unity government.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal held talks on Thursday with King Abdullah II on his second official visit to Jordan this year to boost ties with the kingdom.

"The meeting comes at a crucial time as part of coordination and cooperation between the two sides. Hamas is keen to develop relations with Jordan," Meshaal, who has Jordanian nationality, was quoted as saying in a palace statement.

Jordanian pro-reform demonstrators marched on Friday to salute Islamist Mohamed Morsi, "son of the Brothers," on the eve of his swearing-in as Egypt's first democratically elected civilian president.

"Congratulations to Egypt. The revolt has won," read one banner carried by more than 1,000 opposition Islamists and other members of political parties who marched in central Amman.

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Thursday ordered parliament to amend a controversial electoral law after opposition Islamists threatened to boycott general polls expected to be held by end of this year.

"The king asked parliament today to hold an extraordinary session early next month to amend some articles in the electoral law to help ensure wider public participation in the process," a palace statement said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was to hold talks Tuesday with Jordan's King Abdullah II as part of a Middle East tour aimed at boosting Moscow regional role.

Putin, who arrived in Jordan from the occupied West bank, will meet with the king on the shores of Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley, officials said.