A gunman who crossed from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby Bridge border in the occupied West Bank before being shot dead by security forces on Sunday, according to Israeli authorities. This marks the first such attack along the border with Jordan since the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched an assault on southern Israel on October 7, igniting the war in Gaza and escalating tensions across the region.
The attack occurred in a commercial cargo area under Israeli control, where Jordanian trucks unload cargo entering the West Bank, officials said. The crossing, also referred to as the King Hussein Bridge, is located midway between Amman and Jerusalem, just north of the Dead Sea.
The Israeli military reported that "a 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 subsequently eliminated by the security forces, and three Israeli civilians were confirmed dead as a result of the attack.
In response, Israel closed all three of its land border crossings with Jordan, according to the Israel Airports Authority, which oversees such routes. A Jordanian border official stated that at least two dozen Jordanian truck drivers in the offloading area had been detained by Israel's military for interrogation.
Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and maintain close security ties. Dozens of trailers cross daily from Jordan, carrying goods from Jordan and the Gulf that supply both the West Bank and Israeli markets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the day as "difficult," stating that "a loathsome terrorist murdered in cold blood three of our civilians." Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri praised the attack, viewing it as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza. "We expect many more similar actions," he said.
