AMMAN – A Jordanian gunman opened fire Sunday at the Allenby Bridge border crossing, killing three Israeli civilians before he was shot and killed by Israeli security forces – a rare cross-border attack.
It is the first such incident in the area, which is a commercial cargo area controlled by Israel, since the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated on October 7. The Allenby Bridge, also known as King Hussein Bridge, forms a key trade link between Jordan and the West Bank.
Details of the Attack
According to reports, the attacker, who came by truck from Jordan, got out of it and opened fire at Israeli security personnel operating at the crossing. In response, Israeli forces shot the gunman, neutralizing him. Unfortunately, three Israeli civilians turned out to be casualties in the attack.
According to Israeli military officials, “The terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge. The terrorist was neutralized by security forces.”
Crossing Temporarily Closed
Jordanian officials are investigating the attack. The Jordanian official stated that the crossing was temporarily closed while officials assessed the situation. This represents one of the rare violent attacks in the usually tranquil region on border crossing points shared by Jordan and Israel, close neighbors that have maintained a peace treaty since 1994.
The peace treaty notwithstanding, tensions remain astronomically high owing to the never-ending Israel-Gaza conflict.
