A gunman crossing from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby border bridge in the occupied West Bank on Sunday before security forces shot him dead, Israeli officials said. It was the first such attack on the Jordanian border since the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas carried out an assault in southern Israel on October 7, triggering the war in Gaza that has heightened tensions across the region.
The attack took place in a commercial cargo zone under Israeli control where Jordanian trucks unload goods entering the West Bank, officials said. The crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is halfway between Amman and Jerusalem, just north of the Dead Sea. “A terrorist approached the Allenby Bridge area from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck and opened fire on Israeli security forces operating on the bridge,” the Israeli military said.
“The terrorist was eliminated by security forces and three Israeli civilians were declared dead as a result of the attack,” he added.
Shortly afterward, Israel closed its three land border crossings with Jordan, according to the Israel Airports Authority, which oversees those routes. A Jordanian border official said at least two dozen Jordanian truck drivers who were in the unloading area had been detained by the Israeli military for questioning.
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and maintain close security ties. Dozens of trailers cross Jordan every day carrying goods from Jordan and the Gulf, supplying both the West Bank and Israeli markets.
“It’s a difficult day,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “A disgusting terrorist murdered three of our civilians in cold blood.”
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, praised the attack, calling it a response to the Israeli offensive in Gaza. “We expect many more such actions,” he said.
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