At the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, a Jordanian gunman fatally shot three Israeli civilians before being killed by Israeli security forces, Israeli authorities reported.
This incident is the first attack along the Jordan-Israel border since the Hamas assault on southern Israel on October 7, which triggered the ongoing Gaza conflict. The shooting took place in a commercial cargo area where Jordanian trucks unload goods into the West Bank. The Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, connects Amman and Jerusalem and is a critical trade route.
The attacker, 39-year-old Maher Ziab Hussein Al-Jazi from Jordan’s Ma’an governorate and a member of the influential Huwaitat tribe, approached the area in his truck, exited, and opened fire on Israeli security personnel. He was subsequently shot and killed by security forces, but three Israeli civilians were confirmed dead.
Jordanian authorities are investigating the attack, and the crossing has been closed. The Allenby Bridge is one of five land crossings between Jordan and Israel and is essential for over 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Israeli manager of the crossing reported that the victims were shot at close range. In Jordan, anti-Israel sentiment remains high, with protests in Amman celebrating the attack as retaliation for Palestinian casualties in Gaza.
Although Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and have close security cooperation, this incident highlights rising tensions. The Allenby Bridge remains a crucial trade route for goods between Jordan, Israel, and Palestinian markets. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called for a thorough investigation to prevent future incidents.
