CAIRO: In a troubling escalation of regional conflict, a Jordanian man killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the occupied West Bank on Sunday before being shot dead by Israeli forces. This incident, the first of its kind along the Jordan-Israel border since the recent escalation began, underscores the growing risk of the conflict spreading.
The attacker, a 39-year-old truck driver from the Huwaitat tribe in southern Jordan, targeted workers in a commercial cargo area under Israeli control. The border crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, is a critical trade route between Jordan and Israel.
In another development, an Israeli airstrike on a house in Jabalia, Gaza, killed Mohammad Morsi, deputy director of the Gaza Civil Emergency Service, along with four family members. This attack contributes to the rising toll of 40,972 Palestinians killed since Israel’s military offensive began on October 7.
Residents of Gaza City’s Zeitoun suburb reported severe destruction and ongoing bombardments, with medical teams struggling to respond to calls for help due to the intense fighting.
The ongoing conflict has also prompted a UN-led polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, aimed at reaching 640,000 children after the area’s first polio case in 25 years. Despite limited pauses in the fighting, the campaign continues to make progress.
